Lye and Wait
by pcalix
Summary: "I'm not a hunter, I'm a gatherer. Hunting is my secondary profession."
1. Tryouts

**SCENE I: AMATEUR**

* * *

 **CHAPTER I: TRYOUTS**

* * *

"So what's your reason for wanting to join the Hunter's guild?" the Guild representative states without looking at me, stopping her writing to wait patiently with quill in hand for my response. I open my mouth to say something but close it soon after, realizing with a shock that I didn't have an answer to her question. _Aw, shit! I didn't think of this!_ "Uh...um...I...wanted to join to...I guess...I'm not...entirely sure..." I stutter timidly, smiling in embarrassment as the rep looks up from her clipboard. She stares at me with dark green eyes for a moment and I can't tell what she's thinking but she seems to find what she's looking for quickly and nods her head while smiling. "Don't fret. Not every hunter applying knows what their ultimate goal is. I'll write this down as unknown for now," she states calmly, already going back to the clipboard in her hand to write the words down. I breathe a shuddering sigh of relief and put a hand to my chest, leaning back in the wooden chair slightly as she resumes the questioning.

The next few questions are merely my information such as height, weight, and the likes that I answer easily. The final question is what stops me again. "Do know that this profession can be a pleasant life or a painful death. Are you willing to throw down your life for a fellow hunter?" she asks sternly, taking the time to look up at me again with a focused stare that pins me in place. Long seconds pass as I try to form an answer under her gaze but she again answers for me when I fail to respond. "I'll also write that down as unknown and with that, this concludes your interview. Come back tomorrow for the verdict," she states professionally while putting down her quill to offer her hand from across the table, my right hand moving forward gingerly to shake it.

She grimaces when she notices the shaking and the sweating of my hands. "I'll...I'll do that...thank you for...for having me..." I manage to say but am too nervous to release my handshake. "Are you sure you're up to this? You seem rather...uncommitted and very afraid," she comments politely as she uses her other hand to unlatch mine, my hand still shaking in place before I find the will to put it back at my side. "I'm...I'm sure about this...I'm just...I'm not trained for this like other applicants-"

"Not every hunter coming in is trained beforehand. Don't let others and their skills interfere with what you want to accomplish. Do, however, try to find out what you want to accomplish before tomorrow." The words are spoken commandingly and she gestures for me to leave, my body stiffly rising out of the chair as I nod far too readily and far too much. I'm halfway out of the door of the interview room when she says something that makes me afraid. "You lied about your age and your upbringing. I can tell that much. Know that you won't be allowed in at the age I think you are. Make me believe you're the age you are and I might overlook it," she states to my back but I'm too afraid to turn around, nodding my head on the spot as I go out the door. My body is still sweating and shaking when I finally feel the cold air of Astera night touch my arms and legs, my mind inwardly chastising my own weakness.

 _Damn it! She figured it out! Damn it!_

* * *

"I can't believe you did something so stupid, Lye. There's no way you can become a hunter at your age," the blond haired woman says next to me before punching me painfully in the right side, my face grimacing at the sudden flare of pain. She snorts and smiles grimly at my pain while taking another drag of her Dragon Ale, gulping down half the bottle followed by a gasp of relief as she slams the bottle on the bar stand. "Look, give it up kid. You aren't even old enough to hunt and quite frankly, you don't have the spine to hunt," she states seriously but only for a moment, her grin returning as she punches the same spot again. This time, I'm forced to hold the spot as it starts to throb painfully. "See? You can't even take a few hits to the side, let alone have something like a Jagras or anything bigger leaping on you. Why don't you just-"

I get tired of hearing her speak and decide to leave, turning around on the bar chair and grunting while holding my side as I walk gingerly to the exit of the canteen. Arms seized my neck from behind as I'm lifted off the ground, a powerful grip nearly strangling me as my own arms struggle to pull the arm away. "Where do you think you're going, huh? Think you can just walk out while I'm talking to you? Oh no, you don't have my permission to leave yet," she says threateningly from behind me, my hands trying to unlatch her armlock but finding her strength indomitable. She doesn't seem to care much eventually because she lets go without a word, allowing me to turn around and look into her scarred, one-eyed face before saying to me angrily, "Fine, leave. I don't need you around here anyway. I can find someone else to spend time with."

She turns around and heads back to the bar stand as I turn towards the door, some of the bar patrons watching me as I exit clutching my side. _It was a stupid idea to come here. I need to prepare for tomorrow._ My side throbs painfully in response as I head outside, my hand doing nothing to stop the pain as I start to hobble down the empty streets towards home. A pang of sadness follows me as I walk but I ignore it as best I can, not letting it take root too readily and trying to focus instead on the ordeals ahead.

 _I'm all alone now...but I did that to myself..._

* * *

That night, I dreamed of monsters but not the ones I'm used to or the ones I'm told about. These monsters bore the faces of men and killed their own kind, slaughtering everything they could find and consuming their meat in an orgy of blood. They notice me watching them at some point and come for me, my body paralyzed as they rush closer and closer. I think it's the end but a figure jumps in front of me, using a Lance and Shield of gold to take the force of their charge. Their voice shouts at me to run and I obey, turning and scrambling away like a coward from the sounds of battle.

When I turn my head back in fright to see if I'm still being chased, the figure that saved me is a monster too.

* * *

"Do you have an answer to my questions now?" the Guild attendant demands from across the table, my head nodding as I clear my throat and will myself to calm despite the sweating and shaking coming over me again. "I have nothing left to lose and everything to gain. Everything I gain can benefit my fellow residents of Astera. They don't need someone who can't pull their own weight in their town," I answer calmly and confidently, gulping when the Guild attendant rises from her seat and walks around the table to me. She's half a head taller than me if I was standing up and she eyes me suspiciously before asking her next question. "And the second question?" she asks sternly, my head nodding again with a sigh of relief at having an answer this time. "I won't throw down my life away needlessly but if a sacrifice is required, I will make such a sacrifice."

"Then I'm proud to welcome you to the Hunter's Guild, Initiate Saffron," she states while offering a hand but I'm too stunned to respond, looking straight ahead then slowly looking up at her as if I misheard. After long seconds of incomprehension, I take the hand enthusiastically and shake it vigorously, throwing up my other hand in celebration and cheering to myself in loud whoops. "I did it! I can't believe I did it! Thank you so much!" I shout to her excitedly but she shakes her head no, dampening my enthusiasm significantly as she looks at me with something akin to pity. "Getting into the Guild is the easy part, I'm afraid. There's a long climb to becoming a hunter worth noting-"

Her words are lost on me as my enthusiasm returns, my smile bright beaming as I cheer again. "I don't care about that! I'm finally a hunter! I'll worry about what comes next later!" I shout but after a few moments of personal celebration, I soon stop myself when questions start to form in my mind. Timidly, I turn back to the Guild attendant who looks rather amused at my realization and that I'm still holding her hand. "So uh...what comes next anyway?" I ask timidly, releasing the hand in embarrassment as the Guild attendant giggles. She moves past me and gestures towards the exit with her hands. "First, my name is Lapis Lilac and I'll lead you to the blacksmith to get your initiate level equipment," she commands pleasantly, her form already leaving the room as I rush to catch up.

Cool air greets me as I inhale theatrically, feeling myself lighter and happier but soon remembering to rush after Lapis when she starts to pull ahead. In my haste, I trip on some of the wooden floorboards beneath my feet and land stomach first on the floor with a thud. Although I right myself quickly, Lapis is laughing at my clumsiness from her spot ahead, turning around to find me on the ground rising to my feet. "Wow...are you sure this is the right path in your life. I've seen clumsy hunters before but-"

"No, it's fine. I just lost my footing for a moment. This is all...well, it's unbelievable!" I exclaim with a smile, Lapis nodding with a smile of her own as she leads me on. Faces watch my progress but I pay them no mind since I didn't recognize any of them. _Who cares what they think now? I have other things to do!_ I turn my focus back to the walk as Lapis leads me up the winding ramps to the smithy, my confidence slowly soaring with each step. That confidence doesn't last when we meet the blacksmith, someone I know too well. "Well, if it isn't Lye Saffron! Come to do yet _more_ errands for people who are too damn lazy to get their own crap?"

"We need starting gear for Initiate Saffron, " Lapis says from her spot at the counter, the blacksmith's grin becoming a grimace when he turns to face her. "You wanna say that again? I thought I heard something that I couldn't believe for a second," he states incredulously but when I walk up to the counter and look at Lapis, her face is smiling but with a serious undertone. "You have me on!? This _boy_ was accepted into the Hunter's Guild!? He's not even old enough to hold his own pecker when he's pissen, let alone hold a blade when he needs to fight!"

"That's for the guild to decide, Pilrin. Just fill the order please," she implores with the same smile but Pilrin isn't done and his face slowly becomes angry as he stares me down. I shrink from his gaze but not as much as before. "Boy, you are seven levels of stupid! You know what you done got yourself into!? Hunters have the potential to die out there and those beasts won't just sit back and let you live! You don't have a shred of-"

"Sword and shield, Pilrin," I interrupt, Pilrin stopping his tirade to look at me with part anger and part respect. "So you really thought about this...huh...sword and shield...light, balanced, doesn't hit too hard...kinda like you really," he says before laughing, hurrying back to go get the order. I stand there tensely as he returns with a Hunter's Knife, the most basic sword and shield that every hunter gets from the start. He drops it on the counter unceremoniously and beckons for me to pick it up, my hands shaking slightly as I pick up the weapon and shield. I spend some time turning them over in my hands, marvelling at the craftsmanship before strapping the shield to my right arm and wielding the knife in my left hand. I give the knife and shield a few gentle movements in the air before my head looks up from the weapons into the eyes of Pilrin, his face smiling and nodding in approval. "Dad...I..."

"I don't want to hear it. Your mother's gonna kill me when she finds out I went through with this. Earn that damn blade because if you don't, I will make very sure to exact bloody vengeance on your ass for making an ass outa _me_ ," he states seriously but jokingly, my body already moving as I partially ignore the words. I give him an awkward hug from across the counter that he doesn't return, his chest rumbling as he laughs at the gesture. "Still as soft as ever! Go on, get outa here before someone I don't wanna see right now catches word of this!" he commands as he pushes me gently away, my face now in tears as I smile and nod, wiping my face as I turn to Lapis for instructions. She's also in tears from the touching moment, wiping her eyes with a tissue as she sniffles and tries to control herself. "Alright...that's settled...lets... let's go to the board..." she's able to manage as she stiffly walks away with me in tow. Dad says something as I leave and I make sure that I won't forget it.

"Come back, son...don't let this be the last time I see you..."

* * *

The job board is back in the canteen, a place I dreaded to go given who'd be there. Sure enough, mother was there at the bar again and becomes immediately angry when she see's who I'm with. "You stupid brat! After all we've done for you and all the warnings we've given you, you go and do what you want anyway!" she shouts as she slams her Dragon Ale on the bar stand, breaking the bottle in the process. She's already rising from her seat and walking briskly towards us or more specifically, towards Lapis. Against my better judgement, I step in front of her and brandish my new weapons, mother halting in her stride to eye the tools. "So your dad was in on this too!? I'll have choice words for him too as soon as I'm done beating the shit outa you!" she threatens but Lapis moves out from behind me and shakes her head no. "You know it's illegal for any hunter to harm another willingly. You'd suffer a suspension of your license if you tried-"

"There's no hunter here! All I see is a boy trying to be something he isn't!" she shouts as she moves closer, my head only coming up to her chest as I'm forced to look up at her. She raises a fist to strike me but holds it, the arm shaking slightly as she becomes unsure. "I'm doing this mom, with or without your approval. It's already done and nothing you can do will undo my choice," I say slowly, her face becoming furious as she pulls back the fist to strike. The blow never comes but she settles on something else. "Fine! Go get yourself killed in the wilderness like every other damn fool! You're no son of mine anymore!" she shouts as she briskly turns around and storms back to the bar stand, yelling at the barkeep for another bottle of Dragon Ale. I release the breath I was holding and look back to Lapis who eyes me suspiciously, nodding her head as she puts her thoughts into words. "Your mother is the Blonde Storm...I see the resemblance now-"

"Let's get on with it..." I say sadly, feeling hurt that it turned out this way but knowing that there was no other way it could turn out. Lapis nods and turns towards the quest board while gesturing for me to follow, both of us arriving at it without further hindrance. She reaches up and grabs a flyer off the board, handing it to me and requesting that I read it. The symbol alone gives me a hint at what it is and I nod to myself when I repeat what's on it. "Gather quest, Gourmet Shroomcaps, easy enough. When do I start?"

"By taking the flyer, you begin immediately but this job has you assigned with another. She's sitting over there," Lapis states as she points behind me, my body turning around to find what she's pointing at. At a wooden table nearby is a small, white-haired girl dressed in similar civilian clothes to mine with a Bone Bludgeon, both the hammer and herself resting on the table. I look back to Lapis for confirmation but she only nods her head and starts to leave the canteen. "The rest is up to you, Initiate Saffron," she states while departing, my mouth spouting incoherent nonsense after her as I find myself suddenly confused and without guidance. I look back at the flyer in my hand and read it as if trying to find something else but find nothing beyond what I already know.

Having no other course of action, I simply shrug and pocket the flyer, heading over to the table and sitting down. The girl doesn't seem to notice and against my better judgement, I shake her right shoulder lightly to wake her up. "Uh...hey...are you on-"

She bolts upright suddenly, eyes flashing open and her right hand grabbing the hammer and swinging it at me. My body ducks instinctively to avoid the horizontal blow, the woosh of air unnerving me as she stands on the table and readies a vertical swing. She stops mid flow when I put my hands up in surrender, the blow drawn back again but held. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I mean no harm! I'm on the same quest as you!" I stutter, her eyes a dark red that seems to leech my courage from my body. I can't stop myself from shaking bodily as she simply stares, my hands still held up and her weapon still drawn back. It slowly dawns on me that my weapons are still in my hands. "I'm going to put my weapons down, okay? Can I do that?" I ask timidly but she gives me no answer, simply staring at me with her dark red eyes.

I slowly put the knife on the table, unbuckling the shield as well before putting my hands back up. My right-hand goes into my pants pocket and she draws the weapon back further but I quickly pull out the flyer and place it on the table. She twirls it around with her foot and stares down at it but doesn't release her wound-up swing. "See? I don't...know if what Lapis said was right but from what I was-"

The hammer drops lazily from her hands onto the table with a thud as she crouches down and picks up the flyer, reading it for long seconds and looking at me every so often. Finally, she says only one word that nearly panics me. "Name," she asks in a voice that's devoid of warmth, my head jerking back in confusion. "You...you mean my name? Or what...what name?" The hammer she discarded is pulled off the table and I start shaking when she brings it around, only stopping my shaking when she gently taps the hammerhead against my forehead. "Name," she repeats and this time, I understand what she wants. "My name is Lye Saffron, Initiate hunter...I...I guess we're partners on this quest..." I say timidly but she eyes me curiously, tilting her head slightly as she runs her hammer over my head oddly. I'm too afraid to move, trying to remain still as the bone of the hammer rubs my skin and hair.

Her hand launches forward suddenly and pulls a hair from my head, a grunt of surprise escaping me as she holds the hair in front of her. "Mark," she says as she puts the hair into the binding of her hammer, slowly bringing the hammer back to drop it on the table again with a thud. Her movements are extremely fluid, like watching a dancer, when she moves off the table into a seat next to me, my body jumping slightly to the left at her sudden nearness. "Go," she says simply as she pulls my right arm, moving it up and pointing at the exit of the canteen. "Wait, right now!?" I stutter but she's already moving onto the table and seizing her hammer, leaping off the other side and heading towards the exit.

All I can do is be confused as I pick up my equipment and head after her.


	2. Questing

**CHAPTER II: QUESTING**

* * *

The strange girl walks much faster than her size lets on, my body having to go at a trot to keep up with her walk. She already seems to know where to go when she guides us through town towards the main square, finally halting when she finds a clear enough space as I put my hands on my knees to catch my breath. "So what...how...do we get...to where...wow, you move really fast..." I say between gasps without looking up, inhaling and exhaling to try and steady myself. I hear her make a whistling sound suddenly, looking up to see her do so with her fingers but then hearing the sound of wings beating.

My shoulders are seized by padded claws and I'm lifted off the ground at a panic, the girl grabbing onto one my legs firmly and climbing onto my back as I look down to see the world shrink away. "Whoa, hold on! Wait for a second!" I say in a panic but there's no stopping the flight as I see Astera shrink away slowly, the carrier animal whisking us away to our destination. My panic is soon replaced by jubilant excitement as I look around me and see the view, the forest and town below us a luscious green and breathtaking to witness. I have to shout to be heard over the rushing wind. "I'm afraid of heights...but this is incredible!" I shout to the girl, not sure if she hears me or not but not caring as I take in the sights. My head cranes behind me to see Astera leave view swiftly, turning back forward to see the Ancient Forest hover into view. _I'm a long way from home now..._

"Brace," I hear the girl shout over the rushing wind as the carrier animal descends at high speed towards our destination. "Brace!? Brace how!?" I ask in a panic but figure it out fast enough as we head towards the treetops. I still my body as branches and trees whip by, the carrier swiftly travelling through the low trees until I can see a camp ahead. My panic heightens when the animal's claws suddenly let go, my body in free fall as I look up to watch it fly away gracefully. My sudden cry of panic from an imminent death is short lived as I feel my feet touch the ground, looking down slowly to see that the animal had dropped me close to the ground. "Come," the girl says from my back as she gets off and moves towards one of the tents nearby, my body jarred from the sudden brush with fear but recovering quickly. She already has a map in her hand that she's reading swiftly before closing it and pointing in a direction. When she doesn't move, she looks back at me with her dark red eyes and says, "Find."

"Uh...Ok..." I say timidly as I reach to pull out my own map, realizing with further panic that I left it back at home. "Can I...can I see your map?" I ask timidly, the girl moving towards me and taking out her map while reversing it for me to see. I try not to laugh when I see the cartoonish drawings of monsters, flowers, and other things written on the edges of the map. "Okay, from what I remember...other hunters say Sector 5 is the best location to find what we're looking for. We go in, grab the shrooms and get out. Easy, right?" I say confidently while tapping the sector on the map, the girl turning the book around and looking at where I poked. She tilts her head curiously and pulls out the flyer, turning the book back around with the flyer on it and tapping the picture on the flyer. "Wait...do you...know what we're looking for?" I ask cautiously and chuckle nervously when she shakes her head no. "I get it...you're a hunter, not a gatherer. That explains why I'm here."

She looks away in annoyance and slight embarrassment and I immediately put my hands up with an awkward smile. "Sorry...I didn't mean to upset you...I'll show you what to look for so you can do this yourself...do you want me to do that?" I ask timidly, her nod a little too enthusiastic and quick for me to class as part of her character. _That...did not fit with what I've seen thus far..._ She points again at the forest and gestures with her head for me to go, an exhale of nervousness escaping me as I take the first steps into the Ancient Forest.

 _Okay, here we go...first quest..._

* * *

Even with my weapon and shield in hand, I'm very aware of how flimsy a deterrent it is. Our best option is to sneak towards our goals, both myself and the girl slowly crouching through the trees and grasses to our destination. After the girl had oriented me with where I was on the map, I realized that the sector was not far from the camp and that a short walk would get us there. It didn't take me long to identify the purple mushroom growths attached to the trunks of trees, our goal coming into view as I round another tree.

I hold up my hand behind me for a halt and use the other to point at the shrooms. "There. We'll need to get close to identify which ones we need. Slowly and carefully," I whisper to the girl nearby, looking back to see her nod to me once with a serious face on. I use the grass and fallen trees are around to sneak towards the mushroom growth, stretching my senses to the limit to try and detect any threats.

My right arm with the shield barely gets up in time when I hear a rustling in the grass, the yellow scaled, reptilian form of a Jagras leaping out of the brush with jaws open to bite me. The shield takes the full force of its charge, pushing my arm back from the impact but the Jagras follows up with a slash of its claws. I grit my teeth when it's right claw connects with my arm and shreds the skin but I bring my knife up despite the pain, aiming for the throat of the attacking creature. Blood sprays out when the knife hits an artery in its neck, the creature hissing in pain as it backs off. I'm already moving to my feet and bracing my shield arm again as another Jagras charges me, my arm swinging to bash it in the face with the shield.

Its speed is incredible, sinewy body ducking below the blow and lunging at me with jaws that clamp down on my right shoulder. I growl in pain even as my knife stabbing into the creature's neck on my shoulder and sawing across its neck in an attempt to kill it. The jaws release as blood sprays onto my shoulder, the wound stinging from the bite even as the Jagras stumbles back from me and falls over from blood loss. Both arms feel heavy when another Jagras springs at me and I try to raise them to defend but too slowly. I try to duck out of the way but the monster follows my movements, changing direction to match my evasion.

The Jagras never arrives because a Bone Bludgeon slams into the creatures head from the side, crumpling its skull and sending it skidding away into the grass. The girl is not far behind the hammer, a feral grin on her face from the bloodshed she just inflicted. I barely notice the fourth Jagras through my tears of pain, finding my voice hoarse when I try to shout a warning. It springs at her back but she ducks gracefully, the Jagras sailing over her as her hammer swings out and connects with its face. In a fluid motion, she swings the hammer around towards the ground, crushing its skull with a sickening splat of bone and meat.

I move painfully past her victory, bringing up my shield arm to block but wincing when Jagras jaws clamp down on my elbow. With a pained roar, I bring my knife down between its eyes, the skull giving way as the blade punches into its forehead. The jaws go slack as the creature dies and I yank the knife free as it falls to the ground, falling to my knees next to it as the pain becomes too great to stand up.

The girl is standing over me when I look up, my head craning slowly with a look of pain and excitement. "My first monster kills..." I whisper groggily, groaning suddenly and lowering my head after the wounds on my body throb painfully. "Drink," I hear her say as she offers me a green liquid in a bottle in front of my face, my left hand taking it and drinking it gingerly. The liquid tastes delicious and I down the whole thing without thinking before handing her back the bottle. The wounds on my arms and shoulder stop hurting and when I touch it with my other hand, the wound is scarred over by new skin. "My first scars..." I whisper as I run the hand across the wounds on my right shoulder and elbow, shaking my head moments later to break the spell of wonder. "Right...more will come after us if-"

When I turn back to the girl, she's busy using a knife to cut open the dead Jagras nearby, expertly taking the parts she wanted off its corpses. I look down at my own knife attached to the right side of my belt, thankfully strapped in place and ready for use. "I...I'll leave carving to you...if that's okay..." I say timidly but her head snaps up to look at me curiously. Suddenly, she's on her feet and moving towards me, pulling me by my left arm towards another corpse and pushing her knife into my hands while holding the hand in place. I quickly understand what she's doing but look away anyways, her free hand moving my head back forwards and opening my eyes one at a time so that I can see what I'm doing. The knife descends as her hand pushes mine down, the blade plunging into the skin and dead meat that I find uncomfortable to witness. "Cut," she commands, my arm not moving for long moments as I stare down at the corpse. _This is what hunters do...but why do I find it appalling..._

Despite my misgivings, I slowly start to work the knife through the corpse, cutting parts off at the guidance of the girl next to me. She thankfully takes the parts for herself, wrapping them up in the skin of the creature it came from and slinging it onto her back. She has to work my fingers open to retrieve her knife from my hand. "I...I'll leave carving to you...if that's okay..." I say timidly in mild shock as I kneel in front of the carved corpse, the girl already moving towards the mushrooms as I slowly get to my feet. I soon follow out of necessity, realizing with a jolt the danger we put ourselves in if we linger. _Bigger monster will come for the meat left behind._

She's crouching down next to the mushroom growths when I arrive, my body doing the same as she looks at me curiously for instructions. "These ones," I whisper as I bring out my knife from my belt and use it to gently cut the stem of a glowing purple mushroom in front of me. I bring it up with a smile for her to see, her eyes seeming to light up as I gently hand her the shroom. "This cluster will provide maybe six of these. We'll need more to finish the job," I whisper to her as I start cutting the rest, my hand going back every so often to hand her each one that I cut. Something is attached to my belt next to my knife sheath and I look down to see the shrooms in a makeshift pouch of skin now attached to it. "Thanks...I guess I'll handle the gathering..." I whisper, looking back at her as she nods and gently moves off to another cluster. I follow at a crouch, making sure to keep my weapons ready to draw at the first sign of trouble.

 _Just get the shrooms and get out..._

* * *

I'm putting the last Gourmet Shroomcap into my pouch when I feel the tremor, the stamping of footfalls from something big. The girl draws her hammer in response and moves to a stand as I quickly put away my knife and draw my own weapons. She moves into the open and I do the same, putting my back to hers so that we can watch both angles for approaching monsters. "I take it whatever that is can outrun us," I whisper tensely while looking over my shoulder, the girl giving a simple yes as I brace my shield and widen my stance.

Something catches my attention on my right and I rotate to see it, the girl following my movements as something twice my size in yellow scales slither out of the trees on four massive legs. I start shaking a bit when its yellows eyes lock on me and it hisses at us in a deep resonance. _A Great Jagras...which means we likely just killed its brood..._ I don't bother speaking, instead thinking quickly and turning around rapidly to grab the girl around the waist as the Great Jagras surges at us with its jaws. I move us both out of the way at a dive, rolling on the ground so that we're both upright and facing the monster when we surge to our feet. "Our weapons can't pierce its hide and we don't have the armour to withstand its attacks. What do we do?" I say aloud but quickly glance sideways with an ironic smile in remembrance of who I'm speaking to. The girl answers by widening her stance and waiting for the monster to attack, both of us diving out of its lunge path as she swings her hammer around and brings it down vertically on the monster's skull. The thud is audible even over its hissing and I note the monster shaking its head slightly as it turns towards her.

"Stun it," I realize, putting my knife away so that I can swing my shield with full force. I rush forward with the shield down and both arms bracing it, the Great Jagras looking away from me as I rush towards its face. With as much strength as I can muster, I slam the shield into the side of its head, the monster reeling only slightly as its eyes turn to lock on me. With a speed that belied its size, it swings its entire body around while slashing with its claws, my shield cracking from the force of the blow as I'm sent back tumbling into the grass. Before I can fully rise, it's lunging at me with a bite and I'm forced to roll left to avoid being bitten or seized in its jaws. I keep rolling to avoid the claws slashing down at me, finally rising with my back to a tree and its jaws lunging at me again.

Thinking quickly, I throw myself underneath it, hearing the sound of it thudding against the tree as I crawl out from under it before it can crush me with its weight. The sound of a hammer smacking skull sounds again and I turn around with shield raised to see the creature stuck jaw first to the tree, its teeth now wedged in the wood. "Good plan!" I shout as I see the girl sprint past me, my legs working to keep pace as we run from the monster. We barely leave the sector when I hear the splintering of wood, the Great Jagras likely freeing itself and hissing loudly as it stomps after us.

I push my body to its limits to outpace the monster on our heals, following the girl's path of leaping over fallen logs and sliding down hills to keep ahead of the monster. Eventually, she stops running and turns around with her hammer drawn, my shield up as we stare down the Great Jagras now stopped and hissing from a distance. "Scent," the girl says as she puts away her hammer and walks away from the monster, my body slowly walking backwards with her as the monster continues to hiss but eventually turns away. I start laughing hysterically as turn around to walk forwards, the girl eying me curiously as I do so. "I...I can't believe we survived that...that was...that was scary..." I admit between breaths, the girl's pace slowing down as I nod to her in thanks. My body feels damp with sweat and my limbs feel tired from the amount of activity as we trudge back to camp, my earlier enthusiasm now tempered with exhaustion.

A realization catches up with me now that the quest is over, one that I dreaded before and still dread now. "I still...have to face my mom," I say timidly as we enter the camp, the girl looking at me with her dark red eyes in pity. "Oh, you know my mom too? I'm probably in for a beating as soon as I get home so we might see each other again after a week or so," I joke but she looks away suddenly, lowering her head for a second but raising it swiftly. Something about her seemed off and I move in front of her to look at her face. She tries to look away but I follow her movements, finally putting all the small observations into a final explanation. "Wait, hold on...bone weapons...standard clothes...single word exchanges...are you...are you a wild one?" I ask her curiously, her face turning towards me slowly but saying nothing to confirm or deny my claim. My response is a face of excitement as I grab one of her hands and shake it vigorously, an action she finds confusing as she stares at me. "I don't believe it! A _real_ wild one! A hunter that lives on the fringes of society! You're the first I've ever met!" I exclaim excitedly while shaking her hand, finally stopping when I see her eye dart the hand I'm holding. I release it with an awkward smile and laugh in good humour. "Sorry, sorry! It's just...wow! My first time questing and I'm partnered with a wild one! I take back what I said earlier! We _will_ be seeing each other again! Count on it!" I exclaim while locking my hand to her wrist, her hand not moving as she eyes the wrist I'm holding. "Oh, this? It's a warrior's handshake, wrist to wrist like this," I say as I close her hand around my wrist, my grip strong and sure as I hold her wrist and she does the same. I give her a wide smile as I look into her eyes that are partially confused at my enthusiasm.

"From here one out, we're in this together!"


	3. Shelter

**CHAPTER III: SHELTER**

* * *

My feet touch the ground with less panic this time, my mind surprisingly excited at being back in Astera. The girl leaps off my back and stands next to me, eying me curiously as I inhale and exhale. "Well...we're back...and I really didn't think this through," I say aloud as I turn towards home, the girl walking next to me and matching my pace easily. "I mean...one day you find yourself running errands for the town...the next you just survived contact with a Great Jagras and are bringing a girl home with you-"

"Fukaya," the girl says as we walk, my pace stopping so I can turn to her in confusion. "Is...is that your name?" I ask her and she repeats the word while gesturing gently with her hand towards herself. I nod my head and look away slightly before turning back to her with a grin. "Ok, Fukaya...this may get me into deeper trouble than before but...nothing ventured, nothing gained...right?" I say to her as I turn back towards home but she doesn't move. I turn back when I see that she isn't following, tilting my head when she stands in place. "Lye," I hear her say as she points at me, my head still tilted slightly as I head back to where she's standing. "Uh...yeah, that's me...Lye Saffron, Initiate hunter...I said that...right?" I state awkwardly, disturbed slightly when she smiles at me and places the hand on my chest. "Lye," she says again, brushing my chest in a strange manner that I don't understand.

"Well, we don't have to go home just yet I think. I say we turn in the quest, have a drink, and then go home...is that fine with you?" I blurt to break the awkwardness but she doesn't seem to hear me, eying my chest as her hand brushes it. I move my hand into hers and start to guide her away, still smiling awkwardly as she follows. "I'll take that as a yes so...let's get going...I guess..." I say timidly, awkwardly walking towards the Guildhall to turn in the quest items with Fukaya walking beside me. She doesn't let go of my hand, her footsteps near silent as she follows. "Lye," she says again, my head looking at her to find her staring back intensely at me. "Uh...is there something you need? You keep saying my name," I ask her but she just stares and offers no insight into what she's thinking. I shrug and continue to walk, wiggling my fingers in her hand playfully because she has no intention of letting it go.

"Fair enough. You'll tell me when you're good and ready. My mom taught me that," I say confidently as I keep walking, the strange, white-haired girl Fukaya walking silently along with me.

* * *

"20 Gourmet Shroomcaps intact. I'd say you did a splendid job," Lapis states as she eyes the items we gave her, wrapping them back up in their makeshift skin pouch and pushing them to the side. She pulls out two leather pouches and passes them across the wooden table, gesturing for us to pick them up. "Your payment for a quest completed. Congratulations on passing your initiation as well. You're both now Rank 1 Hunters and I'll make sure that you're briefed when you decide to take another quest," she states professionally as she gestures for us to leave, my head nodding as I take the one bag off the table and turn to the exit.

My progress doesn't go far because Fukaya hasn't let go of my hand and hasn't moved, my body now stuck in place as she gently picks up the other bag. Lapis laughs as she witnesses this, my shoulders slumping and my face frowning in humiliation. "I see you're now working together. It might do you good to learn more about each other if you plan on working together in the future," she advises and I'm smart enough to sense the innuendo in her remark. I quickly move back to the table and gently take the bag from Fukaya, her eyes looking at me curiously as I gesture for us to leave. She nods her head as I reorient us to face the door, awkwardly waving with my hand to Lapis while holding two bags of money.

It's only when we get outside that I attach both bags to my belt and pick up Fukaya by the waist, swinging us around in a circle with loud laughter to her visible confusion. "Our first quest completed as a team! This is a good day! And we're officially hunters now!" I exclaim excitedly as she looks at me, my smile still bright as I put her down. I twinge slightly and put my free hand on my back when it starts to sting, my smile still present but now awkward. "You...aren't so light in full gear...remind me not to do that again," I groan in pain as she simply responds with yes. I tap the pouches on my belt and say confidently to her, "Let me handle the money aspect. I'm good with haggling since I spent years of my youth doing that. My dad's the blacksmith too so I can get stuff for cheap. Just...be sure to...wait, how's this gonna work?"

"Writing," she says as she pulls out a book with a free hand, opening it and gesturing with a finger at the pages. I immediately recognise the language of the wild, one of the most complicated dialects in hunting lore. _One I learned because it's so interesting and my mom taught me it at a young age._ "Those who I tell my name can speak for me...so you're saying because you trust me with a name, I can speak for you?" I ask her in confusion, her head nodding once as she puts the book away. I cringe slightly at finding myself with a heavy amount of responsibility. "So I...am the speaker for a wild one...and just yesterday I was a courier delivering supplies around Astera..." I say while shaking my head, looking over at Fukaya who looks at me patiently. "Well...until you find someone better who can do you a better service, I'll do as best as I'm able but first, let's go home," I say confidently as I start to move towards home again, Fukaya once again following silently next to me.

 _I am so dead when I get home...but it was a good life..._

* * *

"You have the guts to come home after everything you put us through today!?" my mother shouts at me as my first foot enters the door, the rest of me entering slowly with Fukaya following behind. The sight of her sends my mother into a further rage as she slams a free hand on the wooden table she's sitting at. "And who the hell is this!? Some little wench you picked up on your little damn adventures!?"

"Her names Fukaya, a wild one who's my hunting partner," I say plainly, moving her to stand next to me as I close the door behind me. She moves back behind me and I can feel her unease, not blaming her for acting such a way. Mother doesn't seem to relent on her anger as she laughs arrogantly at me. "A wild one!? You expect me to believe that!? All I see is a little shrimp with a weapon she can barely lift! No wonder you two get along!" she shouts as she takes a drag of Dragon Ale, slamming the bottle on the table as she stares me down in hostility.

I look back to Fukaya and nod, her hand releasing mine as I step forward and reveal my shoulder, removing the shield to show the scars on my elbow. Suddenly, my mother grows very still and much of her fury is gone at the sight of the scars. "That's...hunting scars...and by the look of it...a Jagras pack..." she says in a low voice, her eye looking at me then looking away as I clarify. "Yeah and if it wasn't for the woman you just called a wench, I'd be in the stomach of a Great Jagras right now. She's my hunting partner and will be staying here with me. End of discussion," I spit as I toss the two bags of money on the table in front of her, not deigning to stick around as I head past her to my room with Fuyaka behind. I nod to my dad as I pass, his nod tense but genuine as he has something akin to respect on his face.

I open and close the door silently, not wanting to cause more of a ruckus to those who live around us and hoping that mother wouldn't shout anymore tonight. I let out a sigh of relief at both being able to confront her on even terms and the lack of a beating received from her. "That...was terrifying..." I admit to Fukaya as I turn around, her form still in the doorway as she eyes my room. I get annoyed with her when she simply drops her equipment on the floor as she walks towards my bed, my body swiftly moving to pick up the debris. "Hey! Don't trash my room as soon as you-" I try to say but she's already crawling into my bed, pushing herself under the sheets and turning away from me. "Hey! You still have blood on your-" I try to say but a heavy knock on the door interrupts me and I groan at the sudden interruption. "Open up. I have something to say," I hear my mother say and I quickly put the gear in my hands into a pile on the floor before heading to the door.

When I open it, strong arms pick me up and hug me tightly, a gasp escaping me at the sudden pressure. "I'm sorry...I just...I just wanted to keep you safe...but..." my mother states between sobs but I'm trying to squirm out of the worst of her grip. She seems to get the hint, easing her grip enough for me to breathe. "But I'm a terrible parent...I'm a hunter, not a parent...your dad knows better than I how to parent...I don't know what you need from me and there's such a rift between us that-"

"Mom, it's okay," I say as I return her hug, something I thought I'd never do in my lifetime. "I understand what you wanted to spare me from now...hunting is the most dangerous path I can take and you know that because you lived it...I'm sorry...I'm sorry for not listening..." I say as I feel my own tears start to fall. She continues to sob out of her remaining eye as I keep speaking in a sad tone. "I'll be careful, mom...and I'll always come home...I promise you that..." I whisper as her hug becomes crushing again, a grunt of pain escaping me when I hear my back pop. "Easy on the hug, mom..." I croak as she relents again, finally putting me down and using one of her hands to wipe her eye of tears.

She chuckles to herself as she pats my right shoulder on the scar, my hand moving to cover hers as she places it there. "And to think a few hours ago, you were a naive little bastard thinking he knew everything...you still are, by the way..." she says jokingly as I smile up at her, taking the joke in good humour. "I know, mom...doing my best here..." I say jokingly as well, her face grinning as she taps me on the forehead with a finger, the hand missing an index finger. "Don't let this get to your head. Hunting is a dangerous business and now that I know you aren't dissuaded from it, I'm gonna be a lot harder on you now," she states in a threatening manner but I smile and nod, eliciting her to smile in return.

"I know, mom...because now, I'm stepping into your world..."

* * *

That night, I dreamed of monsters again, this time real monsters that slaughtered everything they could find and consumed their meat in an orgy of blood, claws and jaws. They notice me watching them at some point and come for me but this time I'm ready for them, sword and shield in hand as I brace to receive their charge. The shield blocks the worst of the damage but shatters under their assault, forcing me to fall back away from them. I dodge their frenzy as best I can but find their claws painful when they connect, the pain bringing me to my knees. I look up to see the jaws of a Great Jagran coming to consume me whole but a hammer of bone impacts its head and sends it sideways, the figure wielding it yelling at me to get up and fight. My limbs are deadened by the trauma and I can't move when the monster regains its footing and lunges at the figure who doesn't know of her danger.

I surge to my feet despite the pain and push the figure aside with my arms but in doing so, I put myself in the way of the monster attack and find myself about to be devoured. All I can do is smile as the monster puts me in its mouth and clamps down.

* * *

My eyes snap open as I gasp in alarm, looking around the room to reorient myself. My breathing is rapid until I realize that I'm in my own room, doing my best to slow my heart down and slow my breathing to manageable levels. "Fear," I hear a voice say, my heart lurching in my chest at her words but a smile creeping onto my face when I remember who's speaking. "Don't do that...scared the shit outa me..." I chuckle as I turn my head towards Fukaya, finding her face almost touching mine when I bring her into view. My head lurches back along with most of my body but I'm unable to move far as her arm and leg are holding me in place. "Uh...hi...is...is this normal for you?" I say timidly with a blush but she just stares like she always does, a sigh escaping me as I turn around in her grip. "What time is it anyway?" I state groggily as I yawn before laughing to myself at the ridiculousness of the question.

I use my hand to mimic a mouth as I form her reply. "Time for you to get up. Oh, I would say that if I ever decided to speak in full sentences," I mimic jokingly as I shake my head with a smile, patting her hand on my chest with mine in understanding. "Relax, Fukaya. I know wild ones say one word that means many words. I'm just joking," I say as confidently as possible, pulling myself up with more force now that I have someone clinging to my body. I'm able to sit on the best with her draped over my back. "Of course, you and me sharing the same bed is a bit of an issue...what if people get the wrong impression...particularly my parents?"

"Partners," she says simply, moving a hand across my chest in a suggestive way. Suddenly, I turn myself sideways to look at her, opening my mouth but forming no words as she stares back at me in her usual neutral expression. "Wait...when you say that...do you mean like...romantic...partners?" I stutter and am further shocked when she slowly nods her head. I follow through with the thought, part smiling and part shocked. "You...do know what romantic...means...right?" I ask, sighing in relief when she shakes her head no. "I'll explain it later but for now, we have hunter things to do. Time to get up!" I say while tapping her on the left shoulder twice, my body turning back around and bracing. I surge to my feet but with my body still recovering, I'm pulled back down to the bed with Fukaya's weight on my back.

Despite the lack of progress, I laugh about it anyway. "I can't get up if you don't and we can't stay in this room all day. Stop playing around," I tell her, Fukaya moving out from behind my back to sit on the edge of the bed with me. I offer my hand that she takes and am finally able to move out of bed, Fukaya following along as I start to strap on my gear stacked neatly nearby one-handed. She does the same when we get to her gear, hand jumbling the neat pile as she rearms. "This is gonna be harder to do as we get better equipment," I comment as I put my belt on and attach the shield and sword to my back with difficulty. She gives me no answer as I expect and soon after much struggling, we both have hunting gear on ready for questing.

"Lye! Get your lazy ass out of bed! You're a hunter now so start acting like it!" my mom shouts from the other side of my bedroom door, my face smiling cynically as I hear the words. "See? You got me in trouble now. Next time, let's get up when we need to?" I say to Fuyaka who nods her head once and gestures with her hand for me to head toward the outside. As soon as I open the door, the smell of food hits me and I look around to see mom and dad sitting at our wooden dining table impatiently for me to arrive, both of them grinning to themselves when they see us. Two chairs are reserved for us in front of a huge spread of meat and vegetables and my head spins at how elaborate the spread is. "What's...the occasion?" I ask timidly as I guide Fuyaka to the table, Fuyaka reaching for the food with her free hand but my dad tapping her hand to stop her. "You're now a hunter, a rank 1! Your father and I, if it ever happened, decided to reward you for such a feat with a nice meal and a talk over how your life ended up this way!" she exclaims with a grin, her hands already moving to divvy out the food in equal portions to everyone. Dad is the one who picks up the conversation next. "And since your mother is so excited about you becoming a great hunter, I set aside a fine upgrade to your gear that-"

"Dad, that's against the hunter code," I interject, my mother laughing loudly as my dad stops mid-sentence. "Oh? And what does the code say about this?" my mother gloats as she slides two plates towards us, Fukaya digging into the plate with little table manners. I ignore the food for the moment, seeing my mother eyeing me seriously for an answer. "A hunter has to earn their gear by hunting. It can't be given by someone else. Others can aid in the hunt but no one but the hunter can upgrade their gear," I say confidently, my mother laughing loudly again as I take a bite out of the meat in front of me. My eyes close as the succulent meat becomes the entire world to me, nothing but its goodness relevant to my existence. _Wow...that's...that's Aptonoth...that's pretty good..._ "Lye! Pay attention to the conversation and not the food!" my mother shouts at me, my eyes snapping open and finding her face smiling darkly at me. "What I _asked_ is what will your next hunts be?" she says to me with a grin, my answer already formed from yesterday as I swallow the meat and focus on her again. "I'm gonna keep it low key for now. Gathering and simple quests. I don't feel like I'm ready to hunt anything larger with the current gear I have-"

"Hear that, honey? Our son is thinking like a tactician! I told you those lessons would come in handy in his future!" my mother gloats to my dad who dips his head in defeat. "Yes, dear..." is his only response as he starts to eat the food in front of him, his mood shifting to euphoria as he has the same appreciation for the food as I did moments ago. "Aptonoth..." he whispers as he goes for another bite, my mother scoffing at us all for our behaviour. "Yes, yes. We all appreciate it when I cook Aptonoth meat for the house. Now will you both quit acting foolish and get a move on?" she says with mock scorn, her smile giving off the impression that she's enjoying herself. Guilt pangs me before I can start eating again, a foul thought entering my mind that I needed to address. 'I...I will be a great hunter, mom...I just...I just need time-"

"Don't do this for me, Lye. Do this for yourself," she states simply with sadness. Her smile is not as bright when she nods to me in understanding. "I had a good career as a hunter but...you already know that story. My time is over...but your time is now. Don't waste that time trying to prove something to me or your father or anyone. Hunt because _you_ want to hunt," she says sadly and I nod while having to wipe my eyes from the few tears that come. "Stay strong, Lye. That's the only advice I can give you. Like hunting, the rest is up to you. Never forget this-"

"I won't, mom...I won't..." I say as the tears start to fall freely, my mind reeling as my world turns upside down and everything I thought of in my youth is revealed as wrong.

 _I used to hate her...I used to hate what she said to me...but now I understand..._


	4. Gathering

**CHAPTER IV: GATHERING**

* * *

Even as I smile and wave to my parent's goodbye as Fukaya and I leave the house for the quest board, my mother's words still ring in my head. _Hunt because **you** want to hunt. _Doubt starts to plague my mind as we walk, my reason for hunting now called into question with no easy answer readily available. _I hunt...because...I wanted to prove them wrong...I wanted to prove my worth...but...now it doesn't matter...they already knew I was worthy..._ "You wouldn't happen to be Lye Saffron, would you?" a voice intrudes on my thoughts, my head snapping around to see who's speaking but finding no one nearby. The voice seems to sigh as it says reluctantly, "Look down you nitwit..." I do as instructed, taking a step back at the sight of a black-furred Palico standing almost beneath me staring up at me with yellow eyes. "Oh sorry...I...I didn't see you there...but you can't be-"

"-I can't be the one speaking because Palico's don't talk, nitwit? Was that what you were about to say?" the Palico states to me arrogantly and I take another step back at the sight, suddenly afraid of the creature in front of me. "What's the matter...cat got your tongue?" the Palico gloats with a laugh as it takes a theatric step closer, forepaws extended in front of it as my body tries to stay away. "Oh, you better look out! The big, bad Palico's gonna get you!" the Palico taunts as it moves closer to me with measured steps, it's laughter mocking and arrogant as it sees me trying to stay away. I look around me to see if anyone else is concerned by this but find only Fukaya paying attention to the creature. The Palico finally stops and laughs followed by a sigh of relief and a smile. "Ah...I like you...you're far more afraid of me than I am of you...and that's something funny..."

"Ok, hold that thought!" I exclaim while making my hands form a T. I crouch down and move my head around the Palico, its head tracking mine as I do so with its mocking smile. "I don't wear a nametag if that's what you're looking for. Nice try though," the creature says with a mocking sneer, a grunt escaping me at not finding anything to identify the creature with. I take a few breaths to calm myself enough to speak. "So...let me be the first to say...nice to meet you...I'm...I'm indeed Lye Saffron-"

"Of course you are, nitwit! I've seen your picture as part of your hunter's ID! The one I'm meant to _deliver_ to you!" it says with a laugh as it reaches into a leather pouch on its belt and hands me a carved piece of wood. On the front are my name and rank as a hunter, my hand taking the wood and flipping it over to find a rough picture of me carved on the back. When I look up, the Palico is already moving away from me and handing a similar piece of wood to Fukaya who takes it with a smile. "Cat," she says while reaching to pet the creature, the Palico allowing the petting of its head but slowly losing control of its responses from the action. "You, dear, have a talent for this..." the creature manages as it slowly sits down from the petting but I move to stop Fukaya's hand so that the creature can continue its work.

The Palico shakes its head and rights itself before speaking. "Thank you. My name is Yric and I'm assigned to you as your Palico companion," Yric says with a confident laugh, my brow raising as I wonder what's funny. I don't have to wait long for an explanation. "Two things. One, you are assigned to be _my_ companions, not the other way around. Second, I am a female, _not_ a male. Get it right or face my wrath. Do we understand each other?" she says to us, my head nodding more out of confusion than understanding. In a flash of movement, Yric leaps at me and onto my chest, climbing rapidly up to my face to tap my nose with a paw playfully. My hand moves both to touch the spot and hide my smile as she returns to the ground. _A talking Palico...what are the odds!?_ "I think we'll get along _just_ fine, darlings! Now let's stop lying about doing nothing useful and go do some quests!" Yric states as she walks away confidently, my head snapping to Fuyaka who looks at me in similar confusion. I decide to shrug and go after our newest teammate, more out of amusement than necessity.

 _I wonder if mom ever had **these** types of companions..._

* * *

"We'll need to gather the right materials and crafting supplies, Lye," Yric states loudly as the carrier animal flies me back to the Ancient Forest at high speed, my face grinning at the exhilaration of flight and the strangeness of the company I'm in. "That's the idea. I was thinking of starting with an Alloy armour set. It's made of simple ores so it should be easy to get the materials," I shout in explanation, bracing myself as I feel the wind rush by from the final descent towards a base camp. I look up at the carrier animal as it lets go, looking down to land gently on the ground feet first. Fuyaka get's off my back but Yric remains on my shoulders with her leg paws brushing my cheeks. "Don't get any funny ideas, darling. I'm simply using you as a faster means to travel," Yric says playfully as she brushes my short, blonde hair with her forepaws. I smile despite the comment, looking to Fuyaka who unlatches and readies her hammer. My sword and shield are in my hands without thinking and I give her a nod as we start to move towards the camp's edge. _They won't catch us unaware this time._

We walk slowly and carefully through the nearby sectors, stopping every so often to check the map for directions. "Okay...mining deposits are fairly common so all we have to do is be on the lookout for them...what we need is Machalite...a blue rock..." I say aloud but a forepaw taps my head to get my attention. "Look to your right a little...does that look like a blue rock?" Yric says snarkily and I see what she means, a mineral deposit exposed to the air that was painfully obvious to see. "A simple 'found it' would suffice," I respond with a smile, moving slowly towards the deposit with Fuyaka close behind. A herd of Aptonoth are grazing on the grass nearby, my eyes watching them for signs of fright as we get to our destination. "Let's see if your strength is something of note, darling," Yric states as she hands me a pickaxe, my hands closing around the handle as I ready myself to swing. I bring the pickaxe fluidly forward, slamming the rock with the pick head and breaking off a decent chunk of ore. "Well...it's a start," is Yric's sarcastic response and I move to pick up the rock, looking it over to see if it's useful before handing it to Yric for storage. "Iron ore and earth crystal...part of what we need but not enough," I state as I draw back and swing again, repeating the motion several more times until the remaining chunks come loose.

"It's good to see that you're a competent gatherer, Lye. The last team I was assigned to didn't know one rock from another," Yric states lazily from my head as I hand her more rock pieces, my head trying to crane up to see her but stopping when I remember that she's riding on my head. "Well...my mom taught me a lot of things...I've been learning about the hunt since I could understand language-"

"And when was that? Six? Five?" she questions in amusement but the answer I give is not what she expects given her sudden silence. "I've been learning about the hunt since I was two, mostly about gathering. I know very little about monsters and killing them," I state while looking at the map, putting it away swiftly to look at my surroundings instead. Another mineral deposit is nearby and I start to move slowly towards it as Yric finally breaks the silence. "So you were practically born to hunt...or gather if anything. That's a better pedigree than most in your position-"

"Did Lapis tell you the truth?" I interrupt as we get near the mineral deposit, my arms already swinging the pickaxe to dislodge chunks of ore. I congratulate myself with a yes as I pick up a piece of blue rock. "One down, many to go," I comment as I twirl it in my hand and hand it to Yric who asks for clarification. I sigh in frustration as I say whats on my mind. "Other hunters call them...hounds...from what I've heard around the canteen...hounds are the hunter that aren't old enough to hunt but got into the ranks somehow...they usually die early-"

"-and you're one of them," Yric concludes, my head nodding as I breath out of my nose in despair. "I'm...sorry you ended up with a hound...I'll do my best not be one of the lost ones..." I whisper in moderate shame, already going back to work on the mineral deposit in front of me. Yric pats me on the head firmly with a paw and a snarl of frustration."You dimwit. It's not about how old you are. What matters is the skills you bring into play. Any hunter can be old enough to hunt but only the truly gifted can hunt well," she explains, my spirits slightly lifted by her words as I hand her the rocks I mined.

The Aptonoth suddenly look up and start to move away, something that gets our attention as I move into a defensive crouch. The tremors of heavy feet follow soon after, the telltale sign of a large monster. "Well Lye, you have two options. Fight or flee," Yric says from my head but she soon leaps in front of me while pulling out an Acorn Spade from her back and wielding it. Fuyaka and I move to stand next to her and she looks between us with grim amusement. "All we have to do is stun it however we can so we can get back to camp. We can't fight it without the right gear," I state as I ready myself for the coming battle, Yric laughing suddenly as she does the same. "That's pretty smart of you. You're a cut above the standard hunter, Lye-"

"Not my idea," I state as a Great Jagran moves into view, all yellow scales and muscles as I remember it. It doesn't seem to notice us, lunging jaw first at a fleeing Aptonoth to shove it down its throat whole with extending jaws. I gesture gently with my shield arm for us to crouch down, gesturing further for us to leave quietly. We get halfway out of the sector when I hear the monster inhale deeply, all of us turning on the spot slowly to find it staring right at us. "Run!" I shout to the team, already picking up Yric in my arms and dashing towards the direction of camp with Fukaya leading the way. I don't bother to look back towards the sound of stomping feet behind me, focusing on Fukaya's movements as she forges our path of escape.

I gasp in relief when after a decent amount of running and jumping, she stops running when we hit the edge of the camp, my breath now heaving in my chest as I fall to my knees. The monster is hissing at us nearby but soon gives up on the chase. "Well...we made it...no less terrifying," I comment through breathes as Yric looks up at me curiously and puts a paw on my face, the action surprisingly intimate. "No one's...ever done that...for me..." she whispers seriously, my breathing still ragged as I look at her in confusion. "Which part?... Running away?... Sneaking?-"

"Carrying me to safety," she responds while keeping her paw on my face, the action slowly becoming embarrassing as she stares at me. "I kinda...acted...it's...my issue...I didn't...think back there," I stutter but the paw on my face moves over my mouth as Yric shushes me. Her next words are both comforting and chilling in equal measures.

"I like you, Lye, so don't even think about changing...you're fine the way you are..."

* * *

"We didn't get enough ore," I conclude after weighing the chunks we brought back using the scales at the camp, my hands already placing the pieces into a leather bag. I nod to Fuyaka who whistles for a carrier animal, the beast landing nearby so I can tie our current load of ore onto its back. Once loaded, it flaps its wings and takes off, heading back to with the ore to Astera. I feel glum that we didn't finish what we set out to do but happy that we didn't die a horrible death to a large monster. "We'll just have to come back out here tomorrow when the ore crystals regrow...it's a shame we didn't take a quest-"

"Well if it makes you feel better, you won over the hearts and minds of your colleagues...does that count?" Yric states playfully from nearby, my head tilting slightly with a smile on my face. "I guess that counts. All in all, we accomplished something today," I say as I look at Fukaya again to call another carrier. She looks at me for a moment and gestures for me to come over, my body obeying as she starts to move my left hand. The works the fingers on the hand and puts them in my mouth, telling me to blow. When I do, a sound similar to her call comes out, though not as elegant or as skilled. I take time to remember the placement of my fingers before removing them from my mouth, disappointed that I couldn't mimic the carrier call. "I'll have to practice that one but...you do that without even using your hands...how do you do that?" I ask her but she looks away from me as if I said something she didn't want to talk about. Something of my old teachings my mom gave me springs up, her voice repeating the words from my memories.

 _Wild ones are dangerous because they take the monster within themselves. They become one with the hunt._

I put a voice to my thoughts, saying what I'm thinking but unsure what to think about it. "You're kin with the Felynes...that's why you have cat-like agility and strength and why you can use their calls to gain the aid of animals," I state in a hollow voice, her eyes slowly turning to me as her head lowers in shame. A wide smile forms on my face as I move closer and pick her up by the waist, spinning her around in a circle to her visible confusion. "You really _are_ a wild one! I'm not going crazy! You scared me there for a second!" I exclaim as she taps my hands timidly, my spin stopping as I put her down and put my hands in surrender. "Sorry! I just got excited! My bad!" I exclaim with an embarrassed grin but I immediately put my hands in front of me palm upwards as everything starts to make sense and I'm compelled to share it. "It all makes sense now! Why you attacked me as soon as you woke up, why you don't speak much, why you know how to hunt...it all fits! I understand now!" I say too excitedly and I breathe out with a low laugh to try and rein in my excitement when I see her become uncomfortable. "I'm sorry...I'm probably freaking you with my excitement...I'll work on that-"

"Ah...so that's why she knew how to pet me," Yric says from my left, my head snapping around to see her smiling up at me. "And you're very well educated on the ways of the wild ones for one born in civilization. Your mother must be a very experienced hunter," she states with a grin but at the mention of my mother hunting, a pang of guilt starts to blossom in my chest. I try to force it down but I can't, slowly taking a seat as a feeling of sadness washes over me. "She...she gave up hunting...to raise me..." I manage to say as the full weight of her choice finally dawns on me, my eyes now unfocused as I keep speaking. "She loved hunting...it was her reason for living...but then my dad came into the picture and-"

"Don't do that to yourself, Lye," Yric states to me as leaps onto my shoulder and sits herself behind my head. Her tone shifts from serious to happy as an idea occurs to her. "And if anything, if you become strong enough to hunt on her level, she might be able to hunt again not just as a hunter but as a guardian. I don't think she'd want her son to face such challenges on your own if she can offer her skills as well," she states playfully and I feel a growing excitement at the idea, looking up at Fukaya who nods to me from her own sitting position. _Mom hunting again...doing what she loves...but I have a long road to go for that to happen..._ Feeling renewed, I surge to my feet and try to carrier call again, whistling confidently into my fingers as I was taught and excited when I see the animal hover into view. Fuyaka is moving onto my back swiftly as the carrier animal grabs my shoulders and lifts me off the ground, my mind both excited and sombre in equal measures.

 _I will become a better hunter...for everyone..._


	5. Truth

**CHAPTER V: TRUTH  
**

* * *

"So you're saying that you didn't actually go hunting today. You spent that time...mining rocks?" my mother states with amusement, my quest to consume the plate in front of me paused so I can shrug my shoulders and accept her words. "That and running from the same Great Jagras from yesterday. It's persistent, I'll give it that," I say before shoving more vegetables into my mouth with a fork and chewing them quickly. My left-hand snaps down to stop Fuyaka from snatching the meat off my plate, my hand grasping hers gently as I shake my head no. "No, that's mine. You had yours already," I chastise as she pulls her hand out of mine with a frustrated snort. My hand moves again to stop Yric from snatching the meat from my right, her paw claws extending as she hisses at me in anger. "I said that's _mine_. You had _yours_ too so back off," I state as I let go of her paw, another hiss coming from her before she settles down.

I sigh to myself theatrically while moving a knife into my left hand, gently using my fork and knife to cut the large meat into three sections before offering the pieces to the others. They take them an eyeblink, hands snatching their pieces while leaving the middle section the only survivor. "Mom, did you ever have this problem with your teammates?" I ask jokingly as I scarf down the remainder of my plate before it's pilfered further, looking up to see her grinning face and her head shaking no. "Lye, this is the first time I've seen a team of rejects like this in the same room. A wild one, a hound, and a bad luck charm all on the same team is an...interesting life choice-"

"Mom," I interrupt in dismay while shaking my head, sighing in frustration when she laughs loudly in response. "I'm kidding! So long as they pull their weight and make sure you get home in relatively one piece, they're welcome in our home," she states with her usual grin, my shoulders slumping from both mental and physical exhaustion. Once I finish what's left on the plate, I groggily rise to my feet with the aid of my hand on the chair. "We have to go back out there tomorrow so I need to go to sleep. I'll see ya in the morning," I say to mother as I groggily start moving towards my room, her head nodding as she laughs again. She says one more thing to me before I move past her, my trip to my bedroom stopping only for a moment when I hear the words.

"Needs before wants, Lye. Needs before wants."

* * *

"Your mother seems...nice," Yric says with a hint of wonder as she enters the room with us, eyeing everything in a manner that makes me feel uncomfortable. I groan in frustration when she and Fukaya do the same action of dumping their gear all over the floor. "At least make a pile!" I exclaim with my hands on my head in frustration, my movements frantic as I gather their gear into something partially organized. "And don't climb into-" I start to say but it's already too late, the muck and grime from the Ancient Forest now painting itself all over the bedsheets.

"Nag, nag, nag...you need to relax, Lye," Yric says playfully as I groan in frustration again, giving up due to exhaustion and unlatching my own gear to fall in a disorganized trail behind me. Yric is making herself comfortable in Fukaya's arms as her newest teammate to latch onto, both of them breathing loudly in sleep as I get flop into bed and get comfortable. Before I can say more, my eyes are closing suddenly from exhaustion and I feel myself drifting away as well.

"Lye, time to get up," a familiar voice states and something soft pats my face a few times. I groggily open my eyes, not remembering falling asleep or dreaming of anything and finding nothing but a blur in sight. The soft thing pats my face further as my vision clears with a few blinks, the face of Yric smiling down at me finally coming into focus. "There you are. Have a nice rest?" she snarkily states with a grin before moving off my chest, my head lolling to the right to follow her movements. She already has her gear on and is collecting my gear pieces into a pile for me to collect. Fukaya is up already as well, sitting in a chair nearby grinding plant samples with a bone mortar and pestle for an unknown purpose.

When I try to get up, pain lances through my right arm and I clutch the elbow with my left hand with gritted teeth. The pain is gone in an instant and I look down at the arm, displaying it in front of my eyes but finding nothing different. Fukaya is above me suddenly and offering me another potion, my head nodding as I take the bottle and sit up to drink it quickly. "Phantom pain is probably what your feeling. Was the pain sharp and biting?" Yric questions while moving to stand on the bed again, my face smiling at how she can move from the floor to the bed in a single leap. "Yeah...probably remembering the Jagras biting me there...but why didn't I feel it in my shoulder too?" I ask curiously, already handing back the bottle to Fukaya who's already filling it with more potion from a leather waterskin.

Yric isn't standing on the bed when I look back, my head panning around the room until I feel her fur start to brush my back. Her paws tap my right shoulder a few times and I grunt when I feel uncomfortable tingling from her touch. "You aren't allowing your body to rest these wounds. If you keep trying to use this arm without letting it fully heal, you may end up crippling yourself. Why not take a day to fully rest?" she states but when I turn right to answer, she slides back first down my back and moves to my left side. I look over at Fukaya but sure enough, she simply stares back and offers me no input on the choice. "Fukaya, you gotta give me something. I can't always be making the decisions by myself here," I say jokingly as I place my hands on my knees and slowly get off the bed.

I don't get far because my right leg gives out, my body sitting back down as I rub the knee with my right hand. "Here's my suggestion, Lye. You need to take this day off and rest. You won't be as alert or as vital to us if you go out hunting like this," she states sternly and I'm suddenly reminded of my mother lecturing me in a similar way, the thought bringing a smile to my face. "Great. I always wanted another overly concerned motherly figure telling me what to do," I respond sarcastically but Yric laughs at my response, slapping my side playfully from my outburst. "You can do whatever you want but sometimes, you need to do other things first so that you can do whatever you want-"

"Now you sound like my dad," I retort jokingly, trying to rise off the bed again and thankful that my legs are stiff but able to hold my weight this time. I gingerly test each leg to make sure its working well enough, walking forward slowly when I'm comfortable with moving. "So what's the plan, then? I don't want to just sit around all day," I comment as Fukaya moves from her seats and crouches down to look at my legs. I stay still as she pokes the knees and calves with her fingers, wondering what she's doing until she gets back up. "Supplies," she states while gesturing towards her belt, her hands touching the leather pouches and waterskins she has and pointing at me. I don't understand what she means in the slightest. "I'd...like that in writing...if that's okay with you..." I say to her timidly and she reaches for the book on her belt, opening it and writing something quickly before showing it to me.

The list she gives is written in the language of the wild but it's discernable enough. "5 potions, 5 field provisions, and...a grilling kit?" I ask her curiously, her head nodding as she taps the third entry a few times. Yric is there suddenly on my right, tapping my leg with a paw so that I look down at her. "The hunters slang for it is the BBQ Spit and it's the greatest invention ever devised by science," she states confidently as she closes her eyes and seems to travel to another place mentally. "In the hands of a good cook, it can roast just about anything and make food edible in the field...ah, the memories..."

I'm already moving to my belt on the floor and picking it up to check its contents, finding the money pouch and opening it to find it sparsely filled. "I gave the pay from our last quest to mom which I assume she used to get Aptonoth meat for that breakfast we had yesterday. I don't think we can afford a BBQ Spit right now," I state glumly as I close the pouch back on the belt which I attach to my body, the weight feeling a little heavier than normal. The door to the room suddenly opens and I look up to see my mother burst into the room, all eyes moving to her as she barges in without finesse. One of her hands is behind her back, hiding something from the rest of us. "Take this with you," she states as she offers what she's hiding, a BBQ Spit with slight rust on it now in front of her. I stand there for a second pondering the offer but eventually shake my head no. "No, mom. We already went over the hunter's code and it states that I have to upgrade my own gear. Thanks for the offer but-"

"That's not a request. I need you to take this to the smithy to have the rust removed," she clarifies with a grin, my own face smiling as I gently move over to her and take the item. It's heavier than it looks and I nearly drop it when she releases her hands from it. "Can't you just have dad take it with him since he's going that way anyway?" I ask in confusion but mom just chuckles to herself as she observes my room. "Your father left already because it's already an hour past his start time so I need you to run this errand for me," she explains in a commanding tone but I'm not entirely convinced, immediately voicing my concerns despite her command. "Why...why not deliver this yourself? You always do your own errands-"

"Because you need equipment, right? Your father and I can't directly give you anything. What I _can_ do is have you run my errands and pay you for the labour which you can then buy equipment with. Nothing in the rules against that if I recall and you still have to gather your own materials," she exclaims with a grin, my head shaking as I finally understand her logic. "That's so like you, mom...finding a way around the rules..." I state as I place the BBQ Spit on the ground and start cleaning up the mess that Fukaya and Yric left around me. She nods to herself as she watches me work but suddenly changes to a serious tone. "Your body is acting up, isn't it?" she states knowingly, my right arm twinging slightly at the elbow in response to her claim. "Yeah...I didn't think being a hunter would be this physically demanding...I knew it'd be tough but not like this..."

"No one's ever ready for their first quest but take my advice. Don't be in such a rush to go up the ranks or be better. The faster you go and the higher you climb, the harder you fall when you find yourself faltering," she states in a sombre tone, gesturing with her right hand towards the jagged scars on the right side of her face where a monster had clawed out her eye. "You don't want to look like me when you get to my age, do you?" she jokes with a grin, my face trying to smile but only managing a half smile. "Did...did it hurt badly after...and...and during?" I ask timidly, mother sighing and smiling as she nods to herself. "I wouldn't know. I don't remember the pain much and the only thing I do remember is waking up on a Palico recovery cart missing half my vision and two of my fingers." She shows me both her hands, the right hand missing its index finger and the left hand missing the pinky. "Don't end up like me, Lye. Don't end up a cripple-"

"Mom, you aren't a cripple," I chuckle in good humour, her smile becoming a grin as she shakes her head. "You can still hold the weapon of a hunter and you're very much in shape. If you wanted to, you can take quests again-"

She shakes her head no, the smile dropping from her face in an instant. "No, I won't be doing that anytime soon. Your father and I made an agreement that I wouldn't hunt again after this mauling. Unless I can convince him otherwise, I'm not going anywhere," she states and for the first time in my life, I see her doubt displayed on her expression. _They never told me the full story...maybe one day..._ "I understand, mom. I'll be careful. Now let me go deliver this item before it gathers more rust," I state with an increasing level of humour, mom laughing as she moves back to the main room. Fukaya follows after her towards the smell of food that I also smell but before I leave, I turn around to see Yric sniffling near me with a paw wiping her face. The BBQ Spit is set aside on the ground as I crouch down and place a hand on her head, a low hiss escaping her when I pet her head and ears. "Never touch my ears without my permission," she hisses and I adjust my petting to only rub her head. She gives me a cynical laugh as she stares up at me, a sad look giving way to a knowing smile. "You've never owned pets, have you?"

"Can't say I have. You met my mom already. She would never let me have a pet because I was too immature and when she says I can't do something, its best to obey than to fight it out..." I state timidly as I continue to pet her head, not sure if I should continue or not. She shakes her head to remove my hand, smiling still at me as she pats my nose with a paw. "Ah, Lye. You're so naive it's adorable," she whispers with amusement as she gestures for me to follow, my shoulders shrugging as I pick up the item again and follow.

I'm not expecting what came next.

* * *

When I enter the living room, Fuyaka and my mother are sitting at the wooden dining table eyeing each other, both with their right arms on the wood. I get closer to see that Fukaya has small talons extending from her fingertips and that my mother's arm is coated in some sort of scales, both of these sights disappearing when they look up at me in surprise. The connection is hard to miss and I have to put the BBQ Spit on the table to avoid dropping it from surprise. "Mom...you're...a wild one?" I stutter in shock, my mother nodding grimly as she gestures for me to sit down. I do so slowly and awkwardly, sitting down too hard and staring at the table for a second before raising my head to look at them both. "That's...that's why you knew their language...because you know the language from...but doesn't that mean-"

"I was afraid this would happen, Lye," mother says to me sadly as she keeps her eye fixed on me, her expression sad as she closes her eye and nods. "I thought originally that you wanted to hunt out of spite...because your father and I told you not to...I even assumed after you saw the real thing that you'd have a clearer picture and stop hunting to avoid the danger..." She opens her eye to look at me, tears starting to form as she keeps speaking. "It's the call of the wild...that's the strongest reason you haven't given up on being a better hunter after the scarring...you want to hunt but you don't know why...right?"

Her words hit hard, harder than any others she'd given me so far and I put my elbows on the table so I can lower my head and put my hands behind it. My mother continues to speak in a low whisper, the words barely audible. "You want to hunt and better your hunting because the monster within you wants to hunt...I'm so sorry-"

"It's not your fault, mom," I state as I raise my head, smiling and keeping my tone light despite the truth. "In fact, it makes a lot of sense. I always felt like an outcast around town, like I was different somehow and now I'm ready to carry the truth...but that leaves another question...if I'm a wild one too, what monster am I carrying?" I look over at her and she shakes her head no, Fukaya doing the same as my mother sighs to herself. "Like hunting, the call of the wild is personal...I can't tell you what monster calls to you because only you can figure that out...I just...I'm...I'm sorry..." she whispers as she starts to cry, her sobs increasing on volume as she puts a hand to her face and leans against the table. I leave my seat in an instant and cross to where she's sitting, hugging her from behind as she continues to sob. "I never wanted any of this for you! I just wanted you to have a choice but now you don't!-"

"When you find yourself in a hard place, make the hard place your ally...you taught me that," I say as gently as I can, her sobs easing off enough for her to manage a sad laugh and a cynical smile. "Using my own words against me...you little bastard..." she whispers as she tries to slow her breathing to manageable levels, my arms still holding her from behind as I try to do the same. "I know, mom...I know..." I say with a sad smile, tightening my hug involuntarily as her sadness becomes my own. I manage a sad laugh as a thought occurs to me. "Does dad know...or just you?"

"Just me...a wild one usually recognizes another...I'm sorry for yelling at Fuyaka...I thought her presence would cause the unwanted..." she whispers, her head slowly turning to Fukaya who nods to her in understanding. I continue to hug my mom but start to smile when I ask my next question. "What do I tell him?... Do I tell him anything?"

"I'll tell him. You inherited this from me along with my good looks. The only thing you got from him is his wits but that hasn't served you well enough compared to the other two," she chuckles, moving to a stand with me yelping from my feet leaving the ground. She uses my arms to rotate me around to her front, hugging me in a crushing hug that pops my spines. "So much for recovery..." I croak as she laughs and puts me down, my right arm going to my back as I flex it to try and stop the pain. She gives me a hard pat on the unwounded shoulder as she exclaims, "Now beat it, Lye. The errand won't perform itself and I have _plenty_ I need you to do for me-"

"What about breakfast?" I ask but already get my answer when my mother turns me around and shoves me towards the door with Yric and Fuyaka following, Fuyaka tossing me the BBQ spit and Yric walking backwards while showing me a satchel with a portable lunch in it. I sigh to myself as I catch the BBQ Spit awkwardly and start to move, feeling heavily guided to perform this task. "When I said I don't want to make all the decisions, this isn't what I had in mind," I say with a laugh as I exit the house, Yric leaping suddenly to brush my left ear with a paw as she laughs to herself.

"You're just so easily manipulated, Lye. Hopefully, you won't be when you get older."


	6. Gearing

**CHAPTER VI: GEARING**

* * *

My mother never believed in giving me menial tasks, the number of errands she demanded today numerous with much footwork and lifting involved. Besides having to transport her entire ensemble of hunting gear to the smithy to have it refurbished, she had me deliver messages to important villagers across Astera, pick up supplies for the house from the canteen, trade some items at the Argosy while it's in port, and fetch dinner back at the canteen once everything else was done. Worse, Fukaya and Yric didn't help in any way and added to the weight of errands with demands of their own such as food and supplies they wanted with the money I earned.

I'm sitting at our wooden table with my head lolled back and my dad wondering if I'm alive or not. "Well, Lye...you expected your mother to go easy on you when she said she'd pay you for work?" he jokes as he enjoys his meal, my head shaking no but still rolled back. My entire body feels sore from the exertion as if I had just outrun the Great Jagras for the third day in a row. "This cooking is fantastic! You wouldn't mind sharing your secret with Lye here so he can make it for us, would you?" Yric comments joyfully as she eats her food, my head leaning to the right to see her happily chewing on a piece of meat in her paws. I can't give much of an opinion, sighing lightly instead and lolling my head back while my mother responds. "First, he needs to buy his own BBQ Spit so he can practice in the field. I learned half of what I know about cooking while hunting so I expect the same for my son," she exclaims confidently, my thumb coming up sarcastically as I thank her with action and whispers. "Lye, your food won't be there if you don't eat it so you might wanna start," she suggests, my head lolling forward to see the plate of food in front of me. I sigh in exhaustion and push it away, getting up with a yawn and moving away from the table. "I'll eat tommorow...I'm really tired now..." I yawn groggily as I move off, the responses of those at the table heard but not understood.

It feels odd going to bed without anyone else but with my exhaustion, I decide to make do.

* * *

That night, I dreamed of the monster from before, the moment before the Great Jagras swallowed me. This time, instead of a confident smile of certain death, I brace my arms and leap into its mouth, extending my limbs so that its jaws are stuck open. With a strength I didn't know I had, I keep the jaws open as the monster tries desperately to close its mouth to break my bones. The inside of its mouth are slimy and smell foul and I look around wondering what to do next, panic starting to flare when my limbs start to weaken.

I note the monster's teeth, reaching my hands out and clutching two of its teeth to get better leverage on the jaw. It shakes its head to around to dislodge me from its teeth, my left hand slipping on the saliva on the tooth. My right-hand clutches more firmly on the other tooth and I force the hand upwards, my left hand bracing the roof of the monster's mouth open as it hisses behind me. The tooth in my right hand comes away suddenly and I clutch it in my hand, looking up to see the top of the monster's mouth closing fast now that only one arm is holding it up. Instincts make me let go of the mouth to reverse the tooth in my hand and point it upwards, one hand forcing it into the flesh above me as the other shoves behind it. Blood sprays onto me as I hear the wild hiss of a monster enraged, its mouth redoubling its efforts to slam shut.

It screams in rage as I cut the roof of its mouth further and slice vital innards, my own screaming mixing with the monsters until only a single voice of fury remains.

* * *

I wake up sweating, unsure why it felt so warm and groggy from the fading dream while I bring my right arm up expecting it to be mauled but finding it normal. The only disfigurement I recognize is the scar on the elbow. Something starts to vibrate near my head and I look up to find a patch of black fur. "Good morning, Lye..." Yric yawns lazily, her forepaws pawing my face as her leg paws kick at the air. I crane my head back forward and down to find Fukaya laying on me, her face calm until she feels my gaze and opens her eyes, snapping her head up to meet my gaze without a word. "Fear," she says with a neutral expression, tapping my chest with her left hand as my head nods and cranes back to look at the ceiling. "I think...I think I'm afraid of fighting large monsters...my mom got mauled by one...I can be mauled too-"

"Only if you play it dumb, Lye. You have a mind that plans and you don't jump at the chance of bodily harm. Give yourself some credit," Yric states playfully as she rights herself and places her forepaws on my cheeks. "You don't want that pretty face to end up ugly, do you?" she jokes as she rubs my cheeks, a snort of amusement escaping me as I move upright. Yric moves on top of my head, sliding so that she's sitting behind it while Fukaya goes upright and sits close by. I try to keep the mood happy but the dream comes back unbidden and I look down at my right arm again. "I...in my dream...I tore the fang off a Great Jangas...I used it to pierce its skull from insides its mouth," I whisper, flexing the fingers but not feeling any different from before the dream. Minor pain strikes my elbow and shoulder again but it's manageable, my legs already swinging to the edge of the bed as I move to a stand. "You heal quickly like a true hunter. The longest I've seen an initiate heal for is-"

"I'm not most initiates," I interrupt, her leg paws tapping my cheek in irritation at being interrupted. "I'm a hound, remember?...only 16 years old...born a wild one with a monster in my heart-"

"Don't be so dramatic, Lye. It doesn't suit you," Yric interrupts as she pats my cheek with her leg paw and rubs my head with a forepaw. "Remember what I said about skill over age? Treat me like your second mother and obey my advice," she says snarkily and I chuckle to myself as I grab my gear off the floor. It relieves me that the items feel lighter compared to yesterday. "And its not about _what_ you are. It's about what you _do_ with what you are that's important. Of course, you're naive so you won't believe me when I say that-"

"Thanks, Yric. I'm glad to have you along," I say happily as I turn to her, her face beaming a smile at me as she waves at me dismissively with a forepaw. "Oh, stop with the flattery. It might get you places that you aren't ready for yet," she states as she starts to collect her own gear from around the room, my head shaking at the array of gear still strewn about on the floor. "Do I need to buy a chest or something for you two to throw your gear in?" I ask both Yric and Fukaya, both of them waving at me in the negative. "Unwise," Fukaya adds in as she puts her hammer on her back and attaches her belt to her waist, her preparations finished quickly as she turns to nod at me. Yric is ready as well, beaming up at me a little too friendly. "Ready when you are, Lye," she purrs, my words caught in my throat from her strange amount of friendliness but my body moving instead, attaching my belt to my waste and the sword and shield to my back. "Uh...so...same as...a few days ago...we're trying to secure enough ore for an Alloy set...then we'll work on more money for-"

"I think we all understand that much, Lye," Yric states with a nod, Fukaya nodding as well and leaving me confused. "Alright then...lets...what do I even call what we're doing?" I ask them, Yric snorting to herself as Fukaya stares blankly at me. Yric quickly gets over her amusement to answer. "We're heading out, Lye...all this knowledge in your head and you don't know hunter slang..." she gloats as she moves towards the door, Fukaya close behind her with me bringing up the last position. I'm blurting an explanation to her back to her growing amusement.

"Hey! I've only been a hunter for three days! Cut me some slack!"

* * *

My legs flex lightly as we land in the same camp in the Ancient Forest as the past quests, Fukaya and Yric leaping off me to ready themselves for the coming journey. "Maybe this time, we'll get it all done," I say aloud as I draw my map, putting it away quickly once I get a feel for where we need to go. Yric is rushing in front of me and displaying something, my hand reaching down gingerly to take the flyer she has in her paws and reading the contents with growing confusion. "Slay 12 Kestodon? When did you have time to get this?"

"Yesterday when you were running about doing errands. I picked up a flyer for us to get paid so that we can get the money element done. You do realize the entire set costs a lot of money, right?" she gloats at me and I smile cynically at the mention of money. "Soon we'll have to take on bigger quests to make up for all the money we keep spending," I joke as I ready my weapons, pointing with my knife at the direction we need to travel in. A question forms as I start walking, my head leaning towards Yric but my eyes remaining forward. "So I don't know what either of you wants so...what do you want out of this?"

"I have my own Alloy set that I'm eying but for now, we need you equipped for the hunts to come," she states cryptically, my head nodding as I turn my focus back to the terrain in front of me. Though I've only been here a few times, I feel the landscape of creeks and jungle starting to become familiar. _Because I'm a wild one...this is my home really..._ I shake my head to clear it of the strange thoughts, focusing back on finding what we need and not overly surprised when a mineral deposit lies within easy reach. "That was much faster than last time," I whisper as I steadily crouch walk towards the deposit, reaching it easily and reaching above my head for a pickaxe. A pickaxe is handed from my right, my arm awkwardly realigning to take it from that angle and prepare it to swing. I don't bother on ceremony as I start breaking the rocks into smaller pieces, Yric picking up the pieces as they fall off. "You know, one of you could help me with this," I whisper jokingly as I keep hitting the deposit with the pickaxe, watching the rock pile become smaller and smaller until I can stop altogether.

Fukaya instead puts a hand on my left shoulder and turns me around, pulling me a small distance away and pointing at something on the ground. I crouch down to see what she means, finding faded footprints depressed into the earth. "Monster tracks...not sure what type..." I whisper to myself as I move my hand to touch it but move the hand away sharply when something lands on the track. "Jagras," Fukaya says simply from above me as her leather pouch opens on the tracks, a tide of glowing insects flying out. I take a step back cautiously but become excited when I realize what the insects are. "Scout flies!? You own scout flies!? That's awesome!" I exclaim quietly as I watch the insects form a trail towards a random direction, looking back to see Fukaya walk past me and collect the pouch off the ground and put some of the scout flies back into the pouch.

Before I can ask for information or clarification, Fuyaka is walking along the trail leaving me gesturing frantically for Yric to follow. Thankfully, she's finished gathering the mined minerals in her pack and pouches and is quietly trodding after Fuyaka as I take up the rear position. I find my appreciation for her monster affinity increase as I follow, her body moving with a grace that's breathtaking to witness. The awe is soon followed by shame as I feel inadequate compared to those around me. "Don't feel bad, Lye. No one but a Felyne can move like that. Nothing to be ashamed of," she comments suddenly from ahead of me, her head half turning to give me a knowing smile. I look at her back in confusion and wonder how she knew what I was thinking but slowly toss out the thoughts, focusing again on following and keeping aware of my surroundings.

It doesn't take long for us to find the Jagras pack, half the pack sleeping and the other half looking like they're playing with each other. The scene in front of me was at odds with my previous experience with these monsters. _They look so peaceful...but that's a false peace..._ The scout fly trail ends just short of them, staying a good distance from the monsters to avoid alerting them of our presence and slowly fading away as the flies flutter away. Fuyaka is already hefting her hammer behind her and suddenly charges into the Jagras pack, Yric close behind and me rushing after them. The three awake Jagras stop playing to hiss and growl as we approach them, the sleeping Jagras waking up in an instant and turning towards us.

Too late. Fuyaka swings her hammer horizontally, pulverizing the skull of a Jagras as it tries to evade and twirling her entire body around so that the hammer swings around her body to come down vertically. A Jagras skull is caught between her hammer and the ground as Yric leaps at the third Jagras, slamming her Acorn Spade into its head and ripping it free in a fountain of blood. I rush past them as the three behind them charge at us, using my shield arm to block one as I slam my knife into the head of another, the knife punching into its head and into its brain easily. I move my shield arm away from the monster and whip it back, the shield bashing the monster in the face and causing it to stagger for a moment. My knife is already wheeling around and slashing, cutting the monster along the snout but missing further damage as it whips its head back.

It lunges forward suddenly, slamming into me with its full weight and forcing me to the ground with its jaws descending on my head. My shield arm is pinned by its front claws on my arm and I ditch my knife to use my free hand to keep its jaws away from my face. Its strength is formidable and I feel its jaws start to descend despite my efforts to keep it away, its weight too much for me to force off. _Not good, not good, not good!_ My mind goes blank for a moment as I wonder what to do, the world fading away until only the monster and I are left. My free hand holding the monster at bay goes into its mouth, grabbing a tooth and pulling it free while reversing it in the hand. In a fluid motion, I plunge the tooth into the roof of its mouth with as much force as I can manage, placing my hand on the end of the tooth and shoving it as far up its flesh as I can.

The monster expires as the tooth pierces its brain, my hand pulling out of its mouth as it's dead weight flops on me. I shove it off my body but another set of jaws clamps down on my right leg, the last Jagras using its teeth to try and tear my leg off. Before I can do anything, an Acorn Spade slams into its head before it can bite further, pawed hands prying open the jaws and moving them off my leg. The action is extremely painful as I feel the limb sting intensely from the ripped flesh. "Lye! Stop trying to be the hero! There are no heroes in the wild!" Yric yells at me while handing me a potion, my face sad and confused as I take the potion timidly. "I just...they would've kept coming if-"

"You need to think _then_ act! Don't just act!" she interrupts with a groan of anger, shaking her head and moving away from me only to turn back around and come back towards me with an angry face. "What would happen if I wasn't around to save you, huh? You ever think of that?" she remarks in a serious tone, her eyes taking on a penetrating gaze that makes me uncomfortable. "I...I might lose a bit of skin or...maybe a-"

"Lets play it out. If you didn't stop the Jagras jaws with your hand? Face wounds if you're lucky, missing sensory organs if you arent. That leg bite? If it hit the correct artery with its teeth, you'd bleed out before we can do anything about it. If it decided to force its weight down on you? That would crush your innards and make breathing difficult if not causing internal bleeding. You weren't thinking of _that_ , were you?" she snaps at me angrily, my head nodding timidly under her chastising. She sighs again and shakes her head, looking up at me with dismay. "All this knowledge but you don't _use_ it. I'm telling you now because if you don't start using it, it wont just be your own life on the line next time," she says as she turns away, my head hung low as she turns her back on me.

"I'm a gatherer...not a hunter..." I admit in a whisper, Yric sighing to herself again as she turns back around and offers me a paw. I try to stand on my own but even after the potion and the new scars on my leg, my leg doesn't support my weight and I end up sitting again. "Yes...you know the basics of monster physiology but your talent, from what I can tell, is gathering skills...that's why we need you to finish that armour..." she admits as she turns away again, my head nodding again as I understand what she means. _I'm a burden...the armour is there to keep me from getting killed unnecessarily..._

"Look at me," she says as she moves my head with her forepaws, standing on my chest without me noticing with a sad face trying to smile. "Every hunter has to face their mortality someday...I'm just trying to help you..." she whispers, patting my left cheek a few times as she grins. "You want to be handsome when you become an adult, right?"

"Yeah," I say groggily with a smile as I try to rise to my feet again, my legs cooperating this time but my balance slightly off. Yric slides down my body and flips towards Fuyaka who has already carved most of the Jagras and is bearing their parts on her back. I look around for my weapon and find it nearby, picking it up and dismayed that the blade is now bent out of shape. "I guess I'll need to give this to dad when we get back," I whisper as I try to sheath the blade, the blade awkwardly sticking out of the leather strap on my back. A hand takes the blade out of its sheath and I turn around to see Fukaya lift her knee up and place the blade on it. She presses her elbow against the other side of the blade and pulls the hilt outwards, the blade straightening between her knee and elbow as she flips it in her hand to offer me the hilt.

"Thanks," I whisper awkwardly as I sheath the blade, the blade now slotting in accurately but Fukaya already moving away. I'm already rushing after her, moving my hand over her right shoulder and pulling the leather strap she has in her hand into mine. She turns around with a curious expression as I move the makeshift sling of monster parts onto my back. "The way I see it, you're the real hunter here. I'll carry the parts," I say with a smile as I tie the leather strap around my chest, Fukaya staring at me for long seconds before nodding once and moving away. Yric quickly outpaces me and gives me a grin as she passes, my own smile becoming a grin as I chase after them.

 _The quest isn't over yet._


	7. Preparations

**CHAPTER VII: PREPARATIONS**

* * *

"That's 720 zenny each for the Jagras and 720 zenny each for the Kestodons. Great work, hunters," Lapis states to use as she prepares our bags of money. Yric quickly mounts the table and stops her movements for a second with a held up forepaw. "One bag, darling. We work as a team so we share such things," she states in a professional tone, Lapis looking at Fukaya and I as we nod our heads. Lapis simply shrugs and does as instructed, putting all of the zenny into a hefty sack and handing it across the table. As I move forward to grab the bag and attach it to my belt, Lapis smiles at the three of us and shakes her head. "I'll be honest. I had my doubts you would make it, Lye. You just seemed so...immature and unready for this. Look at you now, a scarred hunter with their own team-"

"They aren't _my_ team. We're part of Yric's team," I correct with an awkward smile, Yric laughing to herself in embarrassment as she pats my stomach playfully. "Oh stop, you. You're embarrassing me in front of the Guild rep," she giggles as she bows to Lapis and leaps off the table, the rest of us following behind her as she makes her confident exit. I stop at the door and look back at Lapis, her head nodding to me as she gives me a smile and my head nodding in return.

When I turn back and head outside, both Yric and Fuyaka are staring at me. "Now Lye, I know you think you know what weapon you want to master but let me give you another option," she states as she leads us towards the smithy, my back starting the hunting gear and monster parts. _I guess my inner monster isn't one of strength..._ In response to my unspoken plight, Fukaya unties the monster part bag from my torso and puts it on her back, my head nodding to her as she ties it to her chest. "What did you have in mind?" I ask Yric as she turns around and starts walking backwards, smiling at me knowingly but shaking her head no. "You'll see when we get there. I don't like ruining surprises," she says playfully while turning back around.

My dad is happy to see us when we arrive, something I'm not entirely used to yet but slowly adapting to. "Back already!? You were only gone for a few moments!" he exclaims over the sounds of a smithy in full workflow, hammers ringing and metal heating and cooling behind him. "Dad, we were gone for a few hours. You lost track of time again," I respond loudly, his eyes looking past us and noting the daylight outside the shop with surprise. "That I did but I doubt you came here just to chat!" he shouts, Yric already leaping onto the table and showing him a diagram. He looks at the diagram and back to me a few times before nodding. "It's a...strange change but I'm willing to give it a try!" he shouts confidently, turning around to head back into the smithy. I turn to Yric about to question her when she leaps at my suddenly, planting her body over my face and blinding me in the process. "No peeking!" she shouts as I look around in a panic, the leather of her outfit blocking my vision.

As I'm about to reach up to remove her from my face, she pulls herself upwards and twirls on my head, her weight now behind me as she sits on my shoulders. Dad is returning with another weapon, my brow raising as he drops it on the table. "An early hunter can change his weapon out free of charge if he hasn't upgraded it yet. Yric believes this will suit you better," he explains loudly over the din, my head trying to wheel around to see Yric who's laughing behind my head. "It just seems apt given your skills. Why not try the supportive role?" she shouts as I reach forward and pick up the Metal Bagpipe, its weight far heavier than the previous weapon and nearly tipping me over when I try to wield it in both hands.

"It's...a little heavy..." I comment loudly as I try to hold the weapon, my arms struggling to keep it level in front of me but failing. Yric pats my head and tells me advice into my ear. "It's meant to be carried over your shoulder like a sack and swung forward," she comments while leaping off my back, my shoulders shrugging as I do as instructed. The oppressive weight becomes far more manageable as I move the weapon behind my back and turn around, asking the others to stand back. Fukaya and Yric step out of my path as I swing it forward a few times, gentle sweeps making the weapon resonate as the wind from the swings filters into the metal. "Now blow the horn," Yric shouts sternly, the weapon's weighty body dropping to the ground with a thud as I look for the part to blow on. I find it at the end of the haft, putting my lips to it and blowing with as much force as I can.

The weapon coughs up unpleasant noise, my face twinging slightly at my poor performance as I try to adjust my blowing to make it less annoying a sound. I eventually find the happy medium of blowing after painful seconds of effort and finally produce the common hunter sounds I've heard before. _Low, Medium, High, Medium, Low._ As the last note leaves the horn, it seems to flash once as energy flows from it into me, my body feeling lighter and the weapon now easier to move around. "That was...pretty good actually," Yric comments loudly as I turn to her, her arms crossed as she smiles and nods at me. Fukaya's face shows no opinion on the matter and I don't understand what she means when she gestures with her open hand. "I suggest taking him to the practice area so he can get some training in!" my dad comments while waving his hand for us to go away, my hands already securing the new weapon to my back as I start to move away but Yric hissing at me before I get too far.

"You're forgetting something, Lye," she shouts in annoyance, my shoulders raising in confusion as I turn around but lowering when she points at my dad. _Forgot to make the order._ I smile in embarrassment as I walk back towards the counter, removing my sword and shield awkwardly and placing it on the table. My hands reach for the pouch of money on my belt as well, opening it and sliding out the zenny while counting it to make sure I offer the right amount. Yric is smiling as she dumps the ore sack she has on the counter as well, a pile of materials thudding against the wood as my dad checks each item. When he looks up, he's wearing a wide smile and trying to contain his excitement. "Dad, can you hold onto the sword and shield for me while I have this horn? Also, can you start work on the Alloy set now that I have all the materials and money it needs?"

Dad reaches over with a loud laugh and slaps me on the right shoulder, my arm jarring hard and my body nearly falling over from the impact. I wobble slightly before righting myself, the action only adding to my dad's amusement. "Your first armour! I'm proud of you, son!" he shouts with a loud laugh, already shouting back to the crew in the back for them to come and take the materials. The three crewmen come and stand at the counter for a moment, each of them staring at me and measuring me before smiling their smiles and following my dad's example of slapping my shoulders in congratulations. "Doesn't matter if you're a hound, Lye. You're a hunter in our eyes!" says Fobic the smelter keeper, his voice hoarse and quite while being at odds with his massive physique. The thin, wiry hammerer Gardram speaks up next, his crooked smile matching his sarcastic thumbs up. "This is just the first step, boy. You still got a long way to go so don't let this small step make you a fool-"

The inventory manager Butroni laughs her shrill laugh and shoves an elbow into Gardram's ribs hard, Ghardram grunting in discomfort as she laughs with part chastisement and part amusement. "Don't listen _completely_ to these old relics, Lye. We're proud that you managed to get your first gear materials in order. Not everyone does," she whispers with a smile, already slapping the shoulders of her two compatriots as she moves to seize some of the materials on the counter. The others follow suit, nods of farewell aimed at me as they grab the materials and head back to work, the noise of the smithy increases again as they set about the new task. My dad grins at me as he's forced to shout again.

"Enough emotions! Go train with that horn so you don't make a damn fool of yourself!"

* * *

"Wait for the right moment!" Yric yells at me, my body tensing as Fukaya begins her attack on the large training pillar. Her dash is quick and in a fluid motion, she swings the hammer from behind her back to above her head and brings it down hard on the target, also allowing the hammer's momentum to flip her forward. Her feet kick off the training pillar as she puts holsters her hammer, her hand giving me a thumbs up as she clears the space. "Swing and overhead smash! Use the weapon's weight!" Yric shouts as I do as instructed, rushing forward and performing a quick horizontal slash followed by a vertical smash. The wood reverberates with the sound of the impact but I don't wait for further instruction and take the initiative by moving the haft to my mouth and blowing the mouthpiece to unleash its power. Energy courses through my body as the horn increases my speed but I don't stop there, swinging the horn around again with force now amplified by its power and moving the mouthpiece to my mouth again to enhance the effect with another blow. Even as new energy enhances me further, I move the horn back to my back holster and roll away from the target.

"Good, good!" Yric shouts as she claps at my performance, Fuyaka clapping as well but from the face, she's doesn't understand why she's doing it. I don't revel in the applause, readying myself again and saying to them, "I'll go first this time. Follow my lead." I don't wait for confirmation, dashing forward and bringing out the horn to perform a horizontal blow followed by three swift diagonal attacks. I swing one more time to bring the mouthpiece around, bashing the training pillar again while blowing into the horn to unleash its power. My limbs fill with strength as I swing the horn again with gritted teeth, the horizontal blow slamming into the training pillar and cracking the wood with its resonance. I make sure to play the horn again to unleash the enhanced effect before holstering the horn and rolling away again.

I don't see how Fukaya got airborne but what I do see is her spinning her body horizontally so her hammer spins vertically like a wheel, the hammerhead hitting the training pillar multiple times before she goes vertical to swing one final blow. The final swing splinters the wood down the middle, the cracking sound loud enough that I have to cover my ears to avoid the worst of the noise. I grunt in discomfort as I look around with ears ringing slightly, Fukaya appearing fine and already holstering her hammer as Yric shakes her head from a sitting position on the ground. She says something I don't hear, standing up with a wobble as she tries to keep her balance. My hearing returns as she's speaking. "-use so much force because the last thing we need is hearing loss during a hunt. Compensate for the extra power given by the horn," Yric explains to Fukaya, my own head shaking at the sudden return of hearing.

"Yes," Fukaya states simply as she walks towards me, my body tensing at the intensity of her stare when she approaches. Her hand is simultaneously taking out her book as she walks, fingers flipping through the pages quickly before turning the book towards me. The pages are blank and I stare at her for a moment confused but she taps the pages again with her fingers. When I look again, an elaborate drawing is rendered on both pages, a simple collection of jagged lines and splashes of colour that's beautiful in its simplicity. _That wasn't there before._ In it is four individuals that I take to be hunters, each one wielding a weapon that I recognize as I point at each and whisper to myself what it is. "Lance...horn...hammer...and..." I whisper as I point at the last hunter, a small hunter wielding something like a sword. I blink and the image seems to come alive, the scene rotating and the drawings shifting to display what they're fighting in shocking clarity. _A Rathalos...I'd recognize that wyvern anywhere from-_

I start to understand what the picture depicts, my hand running over some of the details of the hunter with the elaborate horn held behind his back. As I touch the picture, the hunter comes into focus, a horn of leather and metal in his hands and armour of bone on his body. _His entire right body is scarred...but he looks older..._ A short woman with short, white hair wielding a bone hammer, a tall woman with short, blonde hair wielding a lance of gold, and a black furred Palico in metal armour wielding a sword all start to come into focus but not entirely. _It's...it's us...but how?_

I yelp in surprise when Fukaya turns the book away from me to look at it herself, her head nodding as she turns the book back around to show it again. The image remains the same, the four hunters that I assume are us in the future hunting a large Rathalos rendered in all its fury. "But how? The pages were blank..." I whisper as I look at the scene, the image slowly becoming clearer and more detailed as I brush my hand over it. The image of the white-haired woman is now in focus, an armour of elaborate bone matching her bone hammer.

Yric moves to my shoulders and sits behind my head to look at the book as well, grunting in confusion at what she's looking at. "I don't see anything but blank pages. You sure you didn't take any damage on the way here?" she jokes as she brushes the pages, her paw brushing herself and adding more detail to the shortest hunter. "Alloy armor...and an iron sword..." I whisper idly as the picture renders fully, the plating of an Alloy armour set now clear to see and the telltale furry legs and arms of a Palico now displayed. "Scent," Fukaya says idly, gesturing first at her nose with her other hand and then at the pages of the book. I don't understand what she means, still confused at the drawing in front of me. I gently close the book with my hands, Fukaya taking it and replacing it on her belt as I turn to leave the training area. "Is someone going to explain what's going on?" Yric asks in annoyance while riding my head, Fukaya already in step with me as I increase my pace. _  
_

"I need to talk to my mom..."

* * *

She doesn't say anything when we show her the book, staring at it for long moments and moving her hand across it slowly as she seems to read it. "I've heard of this...but I've never seen it myself..." she whispers mostly to herself, Fukaya and I watching from our chairs nearby as the scene renders further to show the blonde haired warrior in full detail, the plating of an Uragaan's hide made into armor and a lance of shining metal held proudly in her hands. "The reflection of the landscape...that's why it's gold..." I say idly as I touch the pages, the landscape starting to bloom around us. I immediately recognize it as the Ancient Forest, some of it now in flames from Rathalos' fury. My mother continues to stare intensely at the book in her hands as she whispers, "Rathalos...the one monster I never defeated...the one that took my eye and left me for dead..."

"Why didn't it take you back to its nest? They usually bring things they hunt back for their young," I whisper idly, my mother nodding and smiling to herself as she pats my right shoulder with her hand. "Good observation. I think it didn't see me as enough of a meal to bring back or I was too dangerous to its young to bring back. I still wonder why it didn't to this day," she whispers as she keeps staring at the book, slowly putting it on the wooden table and turning to look at Fukaya. "They say those who are strong in the wilds can see the future through the scents of the present...but to see it firsthand...who are you?"

"Mom, she doesn't say much..." I joke idly, my mother chuckling to herself as she nods her head. "Right, she doesn't speak our tongue but is versed in the tongue of the wild. I can't speak it but I can write it," she states as she picks up a nearby quill and starts to write on a new page. She writes 'who are you' in the language of the wild and shows it to Fukaya, her head tilting as she looks up in confusion and I shake my head in response. _I expected that response._ Something clicks in my head and I snatch the quill from my mother, her face annoyed as I start to write what I'm thinking. "I taught you manners, didn't I? Use them," she growls lowly as I continue to write, my handwriting sloppy in comparison to both of theirs but legible as I show the page to Fukaya.

"No," she says simply, my head nodding as my mother looks at what I wrote with growing apprehension. "She doesn't remember who she is and where she comes from. The wild might've taken that from her as she became more in tune with it," she muses idly as she moves the book back towards Fukaya who closes the book and puts it back on her belt. My mother focuses on me suddenly, my body backing up slightly as she gives me her attention. "You have a choice here, Lye. This...future...is just as it is, a potential. This doesn't show what will happen but what can happen if all the pieces fall into place. We know the pieces now and we can change them but there's no guarantee this will or will not happen anyway," she states sternly, my body completely still in the face of her seriousness as she keeps explaining. "I can't tell you what to do now...well I can but you can choose not to listen. This future, however, seems to involve those in this room but I'm leaving it to you to-"

I smile as I know where this is going, shaking my head already as the smile becomes a grin. "Yric, what do we do?" I state as I look over at her, her head looking up confused as the rest of us turn to stare at her. "Me!? I don't even see what's on the book's pages and I don't even know about this...this wild one business! Why should I make this decision!?" she blurts as she offers her hands palm upwards for an explanation. I shrug to myself before giving her one, my grin now a smile again. "Because you aren't a wild one is _exactly_ why you need to choose. We need someone...normal...to make a good choice," I say timidly, my mother laughing at my comment and bringing me into a one-armed hug that starts to crush my chest.

Yric sits down and ponders on the table, coming to a decision quickly and nodding her head before speaking to us. "I think we should pursue this future. At the very least, we'll be prepared for other hunts by gathering the necessary gear. All I know for sure is that it's a long road to get to that point. Rathalos isn't a hunt to give to a rookie and from what I know of your mother's experience, that's at least a Rank 7 mission-"

The mention of the rank pauses my enthusiasm, my head swivelling around to my mother as she nods to herself. Fukaya brings the book back out and finds the mural again, my mother touching the Rathalos as it becomes visible. The scales start to change colour, the lustrous red changing into a bright blue that sparkles from the nearby fires. "The Blue King of the Sky hunters call it...not just any Rathalos...but an Azure Rathalos..." she whispers idly, my face paling as I see the real monster come into clarity and hear its roar in my head. _An Azure Rathalos...the bane of most hunters, even experienced ones..._ My mother laughs suddenly, shaking her head with a sad smile when I turn to look at her. "I foolishly thought at the time that nothing could stop me...I hunted multiple Uragaan's to make the armor to fight this beast...but I only finished half of it and decided, against your fathers judgement, to take the hunt anyway...that was my final mistake...to underestimate the monsters of the hunt and suffer the price-" _  
_

"There isn't defeat so long as you live. You hunt and fail so that next time, the hunt will be a victory," I say idly and my mother laughs again, her hug crushing my chest again to my groan of discomfort. "You little bastard...sometimes I wonder if I taught you to be my conscious as well as how to hunt," she muses in amusement, releasing her grip slightly as I rub the sore spots on my body with a grimace. She sighs suddenly in sadness and shakes her head, releasing her hug on me as she puts the hand on her face. "Your father will take some convincing...I still haven't told him you're like me and now, he has this to swallow," she whispers as she gestures at the mural that only some of us could see, my head nodding slowly as I stand up and hug my mother around the neck. "I'll help convince him...if he's gonna let the woman of his dreams risk her life, what better way than to send his son with her into the fires?"

"Oh, shut up," my mother whispers with a grin, both of us looking at the monster we intend to hunt someday.


	8. Compromise

**CHAPTER VIII: COMPROMISE**

* * *

My dad looks very upset with us when my mother tells him everything during dinner, his jovialness slowly replaced with a mounting rage as my mother finishes explaining. "Absolutely not! I won't have _either_ of you to risk your necks on this fool's errand!" he shouts at us, my mother and everyone else around him shrinking slightly from his rage. _He doesn't usually get angry but when he does..._ I clear my throat before speaking, my nervousness still present in my voice and becoming worse when he stares directly at me. "Dad...we aren't doing this immediately...I'm not even skilled enough nor a high enough rank to attempt it-"

His rebuttal is quick and biting, his face turning red in a clear sign of outrage. "Bad enough I allowed you to apply to the Hunter's Guild! Bad enough you have your mother's "gifts"! Now you want to take part in her madness!?" he shouts at me, his fist slamming on the table and rattling the plate in front of him ominously. I get more irritated than scared at his outburst and can understand what he's concerned about. "Dad, this time we'll make sure we do this _right_. We know what the stakes are and can better prepare...We're going on this hunt eventually, dad, without or without your approval-"

He looks about to shout more angry words but stops himself with a loud groan of frustration, shaking his head angrily with a growl before staring daggers at me. "You got that stubbornness from your mother and you can do without it...but since, just like her, you aren't going to be dissuaded, I'll tell you the conditions that your _mother_ ignored." He growls to himself as he glances over at her, mother seeming to shrink further from his anger before he turns it back on me. "You will learn, above all else, how to keep your companions safe and will not undertake these risky hunts without _proper_ preparation. Understand?" he states sternly, my head nodding as he growls in further frustration, clearly not liking the words he just spoke but having little choice in the matter. Even as he looks away from me to take a bite of his food, his face remains a grimace that not even the euphoria of Aptonoth could cool. "I did warn you that he wouldn't like it," my mother says jokingly to me from across the table but in response, my father slams his fist on the table again and shouts a fresh outburst that paints his face red again. Though he turns to face mother with his ire, his anger is directed at me as well. "You're damn right I don't! I nearly lost you to that blue bastard before and now I stand to lose my son to it too! What father would be happy with this!?" he shouts at us, a deep inhale followed by a deep exhale his attempt to calm himself down.

He doesn't manage it, dropping his fork loudly on the table and rising from his chair suddenly to walk towards the front door without a word. Mother doesn't follow him, watching him go with a look of defeat then putting her elbow on the table and putting her hand to her face. I look over at Fukaya and Yric who are sitting at the table in silence, Yric displaying similar sadness on her face to my mother and Fukaya wearing a blank expression that could mean anything. Part of me wants to stay there and sulk with the rest of them but my body rises out of the wooden chair and goes after my dad.

He's only a few steps away from the front door and when he hears my footfalls, he half turns his head towards me but turns it back towards the square with a sigh. "We never really told you how it all went down, did we..." he whispers as I stand next to him, our heights equal but his physique surpassing mine substantially. I don't answer and look straight ahead, not knowing what to say. "It was a while ago...back in my twenties going on to my thirties...before you were born obviously...I still remember when your mother told me why she needed an Uragaan's hide made into armour," he whispers, his words portraying his ironic smiling despite the subject. "I was so willing at the time to work on any project and knowing that Uragaan hide would aid greatly in the dangerous, foolish hunt she mentioned days prior. It would add extra protection against a Rathalos' fire breath but not against its claws and poisonous tail...but you already know why she wanted that armour, right?"

"She uses a Lance and Shield and the armour provides added stability. She can just plant her feet and take most of the monsters blows without flinching," I respond idly, my father chuckling as he puts his left hand on my shoulder. "Your mother was right in you having my brains over her brawns. At least you got something from me," he jokes as I share his brief laugh, the mood light only for a moment before he continues the story with a sad sigh. "She never finished it...she was so headstrong and thought that preparation was beneath her...she only finished three out of the five pieces and I implored her to get the rest finished for her own sake," he muses, shaking his head and exhaling out of his nose in frustration. "Obviously, she didn't listen...and that was one of the few occasions where I begged for something...I pleaded and begged for her not to go with a half-finished armour suit, even going as far as telling her how many hunters I knew that had died on that hunt-"

I feel his hand tighten on my shoulder, the action adding emphasis to his words. _He cared enough about her to beg...I've never seen my dad beg for anything..._ "She ignored me and went anyways...and I tried to play it off and hope for the best...but the hour went by and she didn't return," he whispers in growing sadness, his left hand leaving my shoulder and when I look over, he's wiping tears from his eyes and shaking his head to clear his mind. "I assumed the worst and hated myself for not arguing hard enough to get through her thick skull...for two days I blamed myself so hard that it felt like _I_ was the one who didn't do enough to keep her alive..." he whispers, a humourless chuckle coming moments after as his words become bitter. "But then she shows up a week later with scars across most of her body and missing an eye. There was plenty I wanted to say but after I saw her look of defeat...of a person who barely escaped alive from a huge mistake...I couldn't do it..."

He remains silent for a long moment, my body tensing as I feel his hand return to my shoulder with dreadful import. "It took her the better part of a year to even smile again...don't end up like that, Lye...don't let the monsters be the ones to break you like they did your mother...you make damn sure you and her come home intact," he growls at me and I put my left hand on his, my hand shaking with a mix of fear and sadness as I start to feel tears of my own. "I don't know if I can do this, dad...plenty of hunters die attempting this hunt-"

"And that's why you need to prepare and plan. The ones who survive are the ones who think it through and form a strategy," he retorts quietly as he moves my hand upwards with his, the hand patting my shoulder a few times in an attempt to comfort me. There's a smile to his words again as he shakes me by the shoulder as well. "For once in your life, listen to your old man when he has advice. I may not be a hunter but I've known plenty of hunters and have worked on the armours of all of the ones here in Astera. I know the material monsters are made of and its resistances and weaknesses-"

I find myself smiling as I rub his hand, shaking my head and chuckling a bit. "Not another one of your monster lectures, dad. We'll bring it up when we're hunting it," I interrupt, his nose snorting in playful annoyance as he uses his right hand to push my face lightly. "You sound more and more like your mother by the day. I'll have to try harder to keep the arrogance of both of you in check," he comments playfully, laughing to himself as he turns me around and gestures towards the house with his other hand. His tone is light but still tempered with seriousness. "Enough of this. Let's take this a day at a time, shall we? But before we go, I have one question," he asks sternly, my head wheeling around to see his serious tone not matching the knowing smile. "That girl...Fukaya you call her?...what does she mean to you?"

"Dad," I groan with a chuckle but he shakes my shoulder once to emphasize his seriousness. "Is she important enough that you'll lay down your life to keep her safe? Or is she just another companion that you won't bat an eye if she dies?" he growls at me, my head now looking straight ahead as I ponder the question. _What **does** she mean to me? _"I mean...it's part of the hunter's code, dad...we have to be willing to sacrifice if it means saving another hunter from death-"

"I'm not talking about the code, Lye. I'm talking about you and what lengths you'd go to keep your friends alive. What are you willing to sacrifice to make sure everyone else makes it home?" he asks sternly, his hand on my shoulder now uncomfortable but not dissuading me from the answer I already knew. "I won't waste my life needlessly...but if I'm called to make a sacrifice, I'll do it if it means they get out alive," I whisper to him but my dad doesn't like the answer, turning me towards him and staring me down with a grimace. "That's not good enough, Lye. I know this is gonna sound bad but to hell with that part of the hunter's code. You can do better than that," he states as one of his fingers taps my forehead firmly. "And if Lapis has an issue with that? Tell her your dad said so...she'll understand...maybe..."

I can't help but chuckle at the comment, shaking my head at his casual dismissal of a guild rep and the hunter's code but snapping my head back up to meet his gaze when he puts both hands on my shoulders. "Promise me, son...promise me you'll always come home," he whispers firmly as I feel his grip tighten on my shoulders. There's a wildness in his eyes that I find disturbing but like before, I understand what he means. "I promise I'll do better, dad...I'll make sure we all get home-"

The hug is sudden and crushing, my feet leaving the ground as he lifts me off the ground and exerts his strength. "I see...you and mom...have something in common," I gasp as I feel my back pop again from his hug and my body vibrates in discomfort. When he doesn't relent, I try to push away from him desperately with my hands but his arms stay locked around my back. "Dad...crushing me...enough with the hugging," I gasp and am relieved when he finally let's go, my groan accompanying my back flexing as I try to readjust it. "I take back what I was thinking...I prefer less attention now..." I croak as I hear my back pop into place again, a grunt of slight relief escaping me but my face remaining a grimace. My body is already being rotated towards the front door as my dad starts to guide me with an arm over my shoulder back inside the house. Much of his humour returns when he asks his next question.

"Now that that's out of the way, what else did you do today?"

* * *

When I open my eyes, I can't remember what happened the night before or any sort of dreaming because the first thing that hits me is the smell of dirt and body odour. My yawn is accompanied by a roll that produces a quiet thump as I hit the floor, my body already moving to a stand and stumbling towards the bathtub on the far end of the room. My clothes are falling off my body as I'm moving and as soon as I start running the water for the tub, I hear a brief gasp from someone nearby. "You do...realize you share this room now...right?" I hear a voice say, one of my feet in the tub and one foot out as I look back towards the bed to see Yric eyeing me inquisitively. I stand there frozen for a moment as she stares and gives me an odd smile, gesturing with one of her paws towards something on my left. "The curtains, Lye?" she states with a sigh as she closes her eyes, my body rotating on the spot and moving the shower curtain around the tub area. "How much did you see?" I state aloud as I enter the tub, sighing to myself as the warm water relaxes me.

Her response is a laugh that embarrasses me further. "I saw enough, Lye...and so did Fukaya," Yric gloats playfully as I feel my embarrassment double, trying my best to focus on getting clean with a brush. Curiosity gets the better of me as I start scrubbing my left shoulder. "I know I'm gonna regret this but...how much is enough?" I ask curiously while marvelling at how much dirt I had to brush off, another laugh her response as I hear someone start to move around in the room. "Enough to know that you aren't the most muscular man I've ever seen but have your own...charm," she replies playfully as I hear two people start to move about the room. I don't feel as much regret as I thought and shrug my shoulders, lifting my left leg to scrub it.

The curtain is moved aside and my head snaps around to see Fukaya there in the opening, my embarrassment returning when I see her start to undress. "Uh...do I...do I need to get out?" I stammer but she smiles strangely at me, my head already turning back forwards to avoid seeing something I shouldn't. It gets worse when she gets into the tub with me, my body tensing slightly when she casually sits on the other end and offers me her hand. "Oh, brush," I respond quickly while leaning to the right and grabbing a spare brush. _Alright, keep calm and finish up. Nothing strange is happening here-_

I yelp unexpectedly when Fukaya moves my left leg back down into the tub and takes the brush from me, moving uncomfortably close and brushing my chest with it before I can stop my freakout. "Whoa! Too close!" I blurt in surprise, trying my best to stay still and calm down but failing. She puts her other hand on my right shoulder as she scrubs and I feel myself calm down slightly. "This is...is this normal...or-"

"Stop," she states plainly, my sentence stopping mid-flow at her words. I'd thought she meant my words but then I realize that my right arm and hers are locked at the elbow and mine is shaking violently. The pain strikes seconds later, sharp and biting as I close my eyes and try to control both the shaking and the discomfort. "Relax," she commands but my breathing starts to accelerate as I feel the pain increase, sharp pain starting to travel to my forearm and upper arm. A hand covers my mouth as I start to shout in pain, the pain in my arm becoming too much to keep to myself. Fukaya repeats the command but I don't hear it as my shouts of pain block out other considerations. _It hurts...why does it hurt..._

The pain eventually subsides but the memory of it remained, my breathing still rapid even as the pain stops. Fukaya takes her hand away from my mouth with a slow nod as she moves my arm in front of me, orange and yellow feathers now fused to the arm. "Change," she whispers as she eyes the feathers, brushing them with the same hand as they respond to her touch by contracting flush with the skin. I can't miss the amount of blood on the feathers. "I've...I've seen these feathers..." I whisper hoarsely as I clench and unclench my hand, the odd sensation of feeling now trickling in from my forearm and upper arm. Fukaya starts to brush the arm of blood and I wince at how sensitive the skin had become. "Easy...it still hurts a little..." I whisper but she doesn't let up, quickly brushing the arm before moving back to the rest of my body. "Did you...know that was going to happen?"

"Yes," she answers simply, a smile crossing my face despite the pain and my hand moving to my face as I start to chuckle. "I would ask for a warning but...you don't say much," I joke but tense slightly when she starts to brush lower. I'm about to tell her not to but stop myself, closing my eyes and shaking my head before saying, "I take it telling you I'll handle that part is out of the question?"

"Yes," she answers again as she starts to scrub my crotch, the feeling uncomfortable in how thorough she's being. Sure enough, her actions cause me to go erect to my dismay but that only seems to help Fukaya because she's able to do a better job of scrubbing. "Moments like this...I'm fine with you not saying a lot..." I stammer but she says nothing in response, my body relieved when she finishes scrubbing and turns me around to scrub my back. _That was awkward on **so** many levels. _

Her finger poke and trace something on my back, an old scar from years prior finally coming to light as she taps it a few times in emphasis. "Oh, that? I got that when I was really young and mom told me not to bring it up when I asked about it...I listened back then," I respond before tensing when she moves her brush lower, a quick exhale to calm myself escaping me as she scrubs a little too enthusiastically. "I need to know...is this normal or is this...what am I even asking...and look who I'm asking-"

I'm turned back around swiftly and the brush is pressed into my right hand, Fukaya also turning around and offering me her back. I take the hint well enough, starting to scrub the dirt and grime off of her neck and shoulders with amusement. "You're filthy...when is the last time you bathed?" I ask as dirt layers fall off her body, revealing pale skin underneath covered in scars. My interest is peaked as I scrub further, each layer of dirt removed revealing more scars. "Blade scars...puncture wounds from teeth...small and large..." I whisper and eventually reach her lower back, exhaling when I see a familiar set of scars. I start to piece together other scars with this new one, stopping my brushing for a moment to trace my hand across the scars in sequence. "A Rathalos bite...deep enough to hit something vital," I whisper, moving my hand to her stomach and feeling it for a similar wound. "It's deeper on the back...it nearly severed your spine...it carried you away back to its nest," I whisper as I brush more bite marks on her arms, shoulders, and back while idly feeling her front with my other hand for more bite marks. _All over her body...she must've fought her way out of the nest but...she couldn't get away...unless..._

"You had to play dead in a Rath nest...while it's young tried to pick you apart...until the parents decided to leave...then you fought your way out of there..." I conclude, feeling her arms to find more bite marks and finding the telltale signs of claw marks. _She didn't have her weapon...she fought her way out with limbs only..._ I finally catch up to what I'm meant to do, shaking off the feeling of sadness to continue scrubbing her body with a brush but she stops me and moves my hand back to the scars on her stomach. She seems to whimper as she puts my other hand there as well, backing up in the tub so that her back touches my chest. I know enough about pain to recognize what's happening and turn her around so I can hug her properly, her arms moving around my neck as mine move around her lower back.

For the first time since I've known her, Fukaya started to cry.


End file.
